It is tragic to see that there have been more than 30 school shootings this year. However, the knee-jerk reaction that gun-control legislation would solve the problem misses the mark on several levels [“Second Amendment changes needed,” Northwest Voices, June 13].
I am not a gun owner nor do I currently belong to the National Rifle Association. I was a member of the NRA many years ago when I was in high school. At that time many high schools in Washington state had rifle teams and we used to shoot competitively just like any other high-school sport including a state tournament. The rifles and ammunition were owned by the school district and kept on school property. I do not recall any incident where a student was shot during this time.
So what has changed? Certainly not the way a gun works. I think it is more an issue of how society works today. The acceptability of violence in all forms of entertainment, the general lack of discipline and respect for other people, and the lack of proper mental-health treatment and facilities all contribute to the problem.
If strict gun-control legislation passed tomorrow, would all of the guns already in circulation suddenly stop working? No they would not. Would people with criminal intent in mind still have access to working guns? Yes they would. So, I need a gun-control advocate to explain how legislation would solve the problem. I believe the call for gun control is an easy smokescreen to avoid the issue of solving the real problems of today’s society.
June 19, 2014 6:39 AM
