Gun Control

Thanks to Nick Welsh for his comprehensive article on firearm issues. The weapons referred to in the Second Amendment have progressed from one-shot muskets to assault weapons firing multiple rounds, probably not what author James Madison envisioned. Guns are better described as dangerous instruments designed to kill and consistently re-designed to kill more efficiently. I believe humans are not designed to kill. We are guessing there are 300 million guns in our country. We are prevented from knowing. Because of so many guns, many of us are realizing we are not safe. We have annual auto registration. Why would a legal gun owner object to registering firearms? The fact that the December issue of Sports Illustrated’s last page essay, “After Newtown: Change Has Gotta Come,” by Gary Smith, focuses entirely on guns and violence indicates America is finally paying attention to the daily tragedies of gun violence. — Toni Wellen, Santa Barbara Coalition Against Gun Violence

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There have been a bunch of letters in the press recently calling for gun control. The essence of the problem is guns in the hands of the mentally ill. The solution is not infringement on the Second Amendment, but rather requiring background checks which include a voluntary mental evaluation. Thanks to overzealous [protection of the] privacy rights of the mentally ill, today there are mentally unstable people who have not been diagnosed able to purchase firearms. We need to acknowledge the threat these people pose to society. Don’t blame the NRA. Blame the ACLU. — Michael Sanchez, S.B.