Dear Editor:

The weekly occurrences of mass shootings in the USA are headlines for a few days until the next one. However, there are 90 gun-related deaths in this gun culture country every day. We spend over $700 million each year on military defense, but since the tragedy of 9/11, there have been over 600,000 gun deaths in the USA.

The Second Amendment, which was written by slave owners many, many years ago, says that a well-regulated militia, not individual gun ownership, is the way it was intended.

We have a well-regulated militia with the police force, National Guard, and armed services. The NRA, in defense of gun manufacturers, has deceived the public in this regard. Just recently, Amnesty International warned people around the world not to travel to the USA because of gun violence.

The money we spend on defense is 10 times more than any other civilized country. We could cut this in half and spend it on mental health facilities, cancer research, and the homeless crisis. Unfortunately, I don’t think anything will change as our government leaders are too afraid and there are too many gun zealots out there to intimidate them. It would be interesting if this subject were to be a national vote and see what would happen about the issue of gun control.

Our priorities are out of control...Wake up, America, and get in line with other sensable gun practices as in Japan, Australia, and the UK, whose gun deaths are less than what occurs in the USA in just a few days.

Last but not least, staticstics show that if you own a gun, you are much more likely to be killed than if you did not.

Colin Clarke
Downey