Gun control

Dear Editor:The tragedy in Newtown, Conn., makes us all depressed and shocked, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We should really not be shocked, however, because with 300 million guns on our streets in this country, continuing violence like this is inevitable. It will take many years to resolve this carnage as America has not yet matured from a wild west culture, as the nation is only about 260 years old. European and Asian countries have witnessed untold violence over thousands of years but now have civilized gun control laws which have almost eliminated gun murders. Several years ago there was a similar incident in Scotland where 16 school children were murdered by a deranged individual which resulted in very strict gun laws and 165,000 guns were turned in by the population voluntarily. The 2nd Amendment was written by wealthy slave owners 224 years ago when the country was an entirely different place. Automatic handguns and rifles did not exist. Slave ownership was considered lawful but the country changed that. People in these other countries are happy to have strict gun control laws as do 53 percent of the United States. However, 43 percent resist this because they buy into the myth that owning a gun makes them safer. Statistics prove that you are 7 percent more likely to be killed if you own a gun. The mother of the killer in Connecticut was murdered by her own guns. The 2nd Amendment says a â??well regulated militia in the event of a national emergency is the criteria for gun ownership.â?? Private citizens are not well regulated. Finally, there will be 48,000 murders in President Obamaâ??s next four years and 134,000 children have been murdered on our streets in the last 30 years. Hopefully, this last tragedy will stop the rhetoric and finally get us out of the dark ages. Colin Clarke Downey

********** Published: December 20, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 36