From: Arnold Krause
Columbus
This letter is in response to the letter “No single thing to blame in shootings” by Barbara Smitherman, published in the June 24 Republic. She is disturbed that no gun legislation has been passed, but there is no evidence that gun control would have prevented that tragic shooting or others that have happened.
The fact is, all of the shootings show firearms used were purchased after federal background checks approved the purchase. She said guns kill. Guns do not kill, but deranged people kill using many other weapons.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 expired in 2004. In 2004, a research report submitted to the United States Department of Justice and the National Institute of Justice found that, should the ban be renewed, its effects on gun violence would likely be small and perhaps too small for reliable measurement, because rifles in general, including rifles referred to as “assault rifles” or “assault weapons,” are rarely used in gun crimes. Banning semi-automatic firearms from law-abiding citizens who use them for self-defense legally is foolish.
Many misinformed people say there is no use for such a rifle for hunting, etc. The Second Amendment does not say anything about hunting for your right to own a firearm. I recommend reading the following article: “Why the AR-15 is America’s Most Popular Rifle,” nrablog.com/articles/2016/1/why-the-ar15-is-americas-most-popular-rifle.
Many are misinformed, such as the media and politicians, of the facts about firearms they want to ban. If all firearms were banned, deranged individuals could choose more deadly weapons, such as improvised explosive devices, car bombs, pressure cookers, etc., which do not require a background check to make.
Now if she and others are really concerned about mass deaths every year, I suggest they consider why hospital errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. It is estimated that 200,000 to 250,000 die each year:
- Insider.foxnews.com/2016/06/24/fox-news-reporting-investigates-howd-medical-mistakes-become-3-cause-death. “5 Common Preventable Medical Errors”
Maybe she and other concerned voters should focus on this tragic problem.
