There have been many responses to the horrific events in Newtown, Conn. In recent columns, Greg Hanners, Liza Long and David Hall have provided their views. I am thankful to live in a country where each is free to speak their opinion without fear of reprisal. Out of love and respect for the Constitution of the U.S. behind this freedom, I am writing this letter.
Mr. Hanners failed to reach a conclusion with his column. After stating that he is a gun owner, he went on to say he would feel safer knowing that “only police officers, hunters, the military and the odd criminal were carrying guns.” He then began an attack on violent video games and TV. Does he think the failure to obtain a carry permit would have stopped the murderer? Does Mr. Hanners think video games or a violent television show drove Adam into his rage?
Mr. Hall deplores the perversity of our modern gun culture. I too grew up with guns in my home. My father taught me proper respect for weapons. Hunting and target shooting provided days of wonderful memories. My father has held a carry permit for many years. There is nothing perverse in his legally carrying a weapon. Mr. Hall then proceeds through a series of questions:
1. Why would a woman want a combat-style rifle with high-capacity magazines? My answer is, why not? Furthermore, if she does so legally and harms no one, what business is it of Mr. Hall?
2. Why would a governor boast of jogging while armed and drawing his pistol to shoot a coyote? The answer to this question is evident, unless you have never been in areas where coyotes roam.
3. Why would a neighborhood watchman carry a pistol that tragically led to the death of a teenager? Would Mr. Hall have preferred that Trayvon Martin beat George Zimmerman to death?
4. Why are we debating whether firearms can be carried legally onto a college campus? That is a two-word answer: Virginia Tech. It was and is illegal, which served only to allow that mass murder to occur.
5. Why do we question the right of a private business to ban guns from vehicles parked on its property? Does Mr. Hall remember the multiple mass killings at workplaces?
6. Why do we think that had moviegoers been armed they might have prevented the Aurora, Colo., massacre? Because if they had been armed, a number of the murders would have been prevented. Furthermore, the killer admitted choosing a movie theater because he knew no one inside would be armed.
7. Why do we think that a loaded gun in the home best ensures security? Because time after time the case has been made when thieves, rapist, or murderers have been turned away by the presence of a gun.
8. Why do we tolerate gun shows that circumvent background-check laws? Given the mental issues behind each mass murder, this may be an area that Mr. Hall and I could find some agreement.
In contrast to these columns, Ms. Liza Long opened my eyes to issues of which I was completely unaware. In our rush to reverse past abuses of locking people in mental institutions, we failed to realize and react to the fact that some people require this for their own good as well as that of society. The true common thread in each of these mass murders is mental illness. This is an issue that should be part of our discussion.
Another point to discuss is hardening potential targets. In most of these cases, the murderer has either given up or committed suicide when confronted with force. If that force were available sooner, the number of dead would, at a minimum, be reduced. Advertising target-rich environments with laws prohibiting any weapons to be on the premises is obviously not working. Having properly trained teachers and private citizens able to carry a weapon or have one within reasonable proximity would help. More gun laws will only affect those who obey them, not those whose very intent is to break any law that comes between them and their perverted goal.
So if more gun laws won’t fix the problem, what will? Sadly, there is no answer that will guarantee our safety from evil intent on doing harm. We have surrendered many rights out of fear or ignorance. My emails can be read without due legal process thanks to our fear of terrorism and the misnamed Patriot Act. The IRS can empty my bank account without any judicial process and I must prove my innocence at my own expense. We must not allow emotion concerning this horrific crime to lead to further erosion of our Constitutional rights. We cannot allow fear to lead us to tyranny.