Dear Editor:
I am completely baffled by your recent surge in anti-gun fervor. Why all the concern? It's true; roughly 30,000 Americans die each year from gun-related violence, although roughly 40,000 Americans die in car accidents and of the 30,000 people killed by guns just over half are suicides. So in truth only about 15,000 people are gunned down each year. Why aren't we banning cars?
More importantly when did we lose touch with reality? A car and a gun are tools just like a hammer or a pencil. They have no control over their use. If someone draws an offensive image is the pencil blamed? No. When did we stop making the person who chose to carry out a deed responsible for their actions? When did the old saying "if there's a will there's a way" become invalid?
If someone is willing to sacrifice enough anything can be done. In what world do you live in that a president like Kennedy, surrounded by highly trained men at all times could be killed, but a few metal detectors in schools will protect anything?
We need to realize the root problem and fix that. We need to pay more attention to diagnosing and treating the mentally ill long before we give up any rights for the illusion of security.
Only law-abiding citizens abide laws; criminals will find guns like they find drugs because completely outlawing all drugs has worked so well.