Your Opinion: Response to Sampson on gun control

Greg Treiman, Holts Summit

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Dear Editor:

I suppose the right wing response is not altogether unexpected either. They perhaps should have waited until after the funerals to call for more guns in schools as “security,” but oh well. Perhaps we should just agree to store assault rifles in every classroom of every untrained teacher to head off further tragedy.

It’s not like anyone would ever misuse such a thing.

I jest, of course, Mr. Sampson, but my point remains the same.

While it is true that car accidents and alcohol kill people, your argument is fundamentally flawed. Cars are not intended to be used as weapons, and the deaths caused by them are accidental; however, guns are designed expressly with the purpose of killing in mind. Cars are designed to transport people: guns are designed to kill and destroy.

This is not an isolated event: guns are often used for violence. In 2011, guns used in homicides killed approximately 11,101 people. It remains a fact that none of these murders could have a occurred without the murder weapon. And those are merely the lethal incidents.

Yes he was clearly a disturbed individual, but he would not have to been able to kill so many if it were not so easy to obtain assault rifles and other weapons in this country: if the shooter had not access to so many extremely lethal weapons, this would have been a very different story.

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John 5 months, 3 weeks ago

"It remains a fact that none of these murders could have a occurred without the murder weapon. And those are merely the lethal incidents." Now THAT is a "duh" statement.

How can you modify the word lethal; "extremely lethal weapons"?

"They perhaps should have waited until after the funerals to call for more guns in schools as 'security,' ..." I suppose it was alright for the liberals to immediately begin using such a tragedy for political fodder burt it was NOT okay to respond?

rj27 5 months, 3 weeks ago

While we're clearing things up,most vehicle fatalities are not accidents.Most collisions are not accidents,but preventable crashes.I have seen the tragedies first had as a responder for 25 yrs.Better driver training stricter liscencing and fewer distractions in the car could eliminate most crashes.Inexpensive and seemingly easy to do yet the carnage keeps coming.Don't even get started on impaired drivers and ways to stop that.If we are not willing to make posative advances in reduction of auto crashes a considerably less controversial subject,what makes us think we can solve gun violence so easily?

JCLifer 5 months, 3 weeks ago

George Bush is to blame.

rj27 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Everyone demands their rights,but are unwilling to take on an equal load of responsibility that is required to keep from loosing them!!!

connor 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Put a Ban on all "Civilian" semi and fully automatic weapons, including the "Civilian" law enforcement, and so there is NO confusion that means every department and employee who is NOT military.

If this society is dangerous enough that all these civilian departments require semi and fully automatic weapons then it is dangerous enough that there should be no restrictions on private citizens either. Especially those who live outside city limits.

Criminals will act in a matter of seconds, police take minutes to respond at best.

spelchek 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Some people with an internet connection and a keyboard shouldn't be allowed to spout 2nd amendment intolerance and ignorance. But hey, who are we to judge? That's our right...right? Picking and choosing which part of the constitution you agree with is short sighted and you should know better.

online_editor 5 months, 3 weeks ago

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