Restrictive gun proposals would punish responsible owners
Jack Bernard’s May 21 opinion piece calling for further gun control laws of an onerous and restrictive nature is a great example of why firearm owners should be apprehensive and suspicious of new laws advocated by gun control supporters.
His actual and statistical numbers related to gun deaths -- 40,000 annually -- are misleading. Recognize over half are suicides, not homicides.
Substantial taxes on guns and ammunition for victim compensation would equal punitive measures against law-abiding, responsible gun owners.
Mandate guns be under lock and key? Would an owner be in compliance if residence doors were locked before being burglarized?
Ban AR-15s? Actual numbers show more people are murdered by physical force.
Convicted felons? Already prohibited from gun ownership.
The Second Amendment may be open to legal interpretation. However, regarding “the people,” referred to in the 1st and 4th Amendments of the Bill of Rights, no one suggests “the people” means some state entity, as with the 2nd Amendment. Really, who are “the people.”
DANNY AGAN, WASHINGTON, GA.
Nation can’t continue to ignore gun problem
In 1968, U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark pointed out how guns threatened the future of our country.
At that time, there were 160 million guns in circulation. There were 7,700 murders with guns in 1968 and 11,000 suicides. Other civilized nations took action to limit gun violence, usually after a violent event. We continued down the path of more guns.
In 2022, there were 400 million guns in circulation, 20,958 murders and 26,328 suicides. The risk and lethality of firearms have increased due to larger magazine capacities and the growing use of high-caliber weapons. The voice of the powerful gun lobby for no action in Congress continues to prevail.
It is time to recognize that, Houston, we have a problem. Las Vegas, Farmington, Buffalo, Uvalde, Pittsburgh and America, we have a problem, and we will continue to suffer unbearable carnage if we continue to ignore it.
DONALD RUDZINSKI, FLOWERY BRANCH
