To the Editor:
Countless parents including myself learned and later taught their children safe gun handling and use before the age of 14. Attempts to legislate common sense and responsibility for parents have not worked. Such laws only impede the freedom of everyone else.
The term “gun violence” is a misnomer. Guns do not commit violence. Criminal violence can be committed while using a gun or any other inanimate object. Let’s call it what it is, criminal violence.
Adding a surcharge on gun purchases, or more bureaucratic regulations to the National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) only further erodes the freedom of law-abiding gun owners. Many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders who have been coddled by the justice system. If these criminals were aggressively prosecuted and off the street, violent crime would diminish. Sometimes a person who has no criminal background and has not threatened violence (a crime) still commits a murder. Show me a new law that is also constitutional that would prevent that. Although it is vastly under reported many of these incidents are prevented or lessened by the presence of the right person with a gun.
We could have conversations, dialogue, pass more laws, add layers of new regulation, ignore the Constitution and have doctors snooping in our private lives all to no avail. Or we could vigorously enforce existing laws and protect ourselves, family and neighbors as best we can.
Again you cannot legislate morality.
Myles Miller
Sigourney
