Dear Editor:

I served in the Marine Corps for 21 years to protect our Constitution. I have been in law enforcement for 20 years. Now our elected officials are slowly taking our Constitutional rights away.

The majority of Californians do not know the anti-gun bills passed and presented to Gov. Brown. Our Second Amendment is slowly being eroded by our elected officials who are on their own agenda, not yours. I don't want to rant and rave about the Second Amendment but just present the consequences.

The saying goes, "When seconds count, the police are minutes away." This is so true. While 911 is dispatching a police unit, you are on you own to protect yourself. Your baseball bat or your 5 iron will not do anything against a criminal armed with an illegally obtained gun.

With more "non violent" criminals being released from prison, crime is rising. Don't let the sheriff or police chief show you statistics that crime is down. Tell that to our beloved Downey resident murdered in his own home. If an alert neighbor did not call 911, the criminals would have escaped.

How do you think the riverbed transients survive? When a major incident occurs on the east side, the criminals are loose on the west side.

So please protect yourself and your family. If you don't feel safe owning a firearm, don't take the right away from your neighbor who could save your life. For those who do own a firearm, please get training from a professional. It will be expensive but money well spent.

Robert Rodriguez
Downey