The Times News today printed a letter from Towamensing Township resident George White headlined “It’s Time to Act.” Mr. White noted that there was no reason for the average citizen to own assault or automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
Mr. White had a number of reasonable suggestions:
- ban the purchase of assault and automatic weapons.
- stringent background checks for all gun purchases.
- trigger locks on all guns.
- responsibility of gun owners for their guns. If your gun is used in a shooting, you are an accessory to the crime.
Those are four good suggestions. None of them take away hunting rifles, shotguns, or pistols. Unfortunately, the N.R.A., while it pretends to represent hunters like Mr. White and me, actually represents gun manufacturers and dealers.
Some of its stands make no sense whatsoever. Let me give you just one more example of the N.R.A.’s craziness. Lead bullets used in hunting enter the food chain. If an animal is wounded and dies, scavengers often ingest the bullets. Pellets used in waterfowl hunting fall into bays and estuaries and pollute the environment. Alternatives to lead ammo have been available for years. The N.R.A. opposes all efforts to make lead ammo illegal.
As a nation, we need to somehow find a way to regulate firearms and their accessories while still keeping the 2nd Amendment. I don't know if there is any good way to do it.
ReplyDeleteCan we ban semi-autos? If we do, there are thousands of semis already produced and available.
Clips and magazines. Apparently, a difference exists between clips and magazines but I don't know what that is.
Maybe, we need to revisit the mental health issue. Social workers are some of the lowest paid people you will find. People don't value mental health in the US.
Also, violent crime occurs more in an individualistic society. America is as individualistic as a nation can be. Unfortunately, that individualism may have eroded our committment to our community.
ReplyDeleteAll good points!
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