Dear Editor: Response to Gerald Johnson

Dear Editor,

Yes, here is yet another response to Gerald Johnson’s stance on gun control. As he seems to target the events of December 14th, 2012 (Sandy Hook), we’ll start there.

Whatever happened there, banning guns is NOT the answer! It should be fairly obvious, for one thing, that the perpetrator was NOT a law-abiding citizen, so even if there had been a gun-ban in effect, or some other form of gun control, the event would still very likely have happened. If indeed this event happened as reported, it was a very regrettable incident. It’s a sad day when ANYONE dies (except “bad people,”of course)!

Would they have died if, as Mr. Johnson remonstrates, legislators were more concerned about the war at home than the one abroad?

The answer to that question is that, as above, they very likely would have!

The problem is NOT guns! Guns do not pull their own triggers! It takes the will of a human being to take the life of another. Do guns better effectuate murder? Without doubt, but if someone has murder in their heart, no gun presents no problem; any weapon will do, even a screwdriver, if it comes down to it! I’m all for protecting our children, but how are we to protect them from, say, home invaders, if we have no guns? Should we simply rely on the police, who might take up to half an hour to show up on the scene of the crime?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not against calling 911, but I also realize that they can’t always be johnny-on-the-spot, either. On the other hand, too, it’s not very likely that any prospective home invader would abide by any gun control law, no matter how strict.

Getting back to the issue at hand, Mr. Johnson’s misplaced anger, we should understand, as I said in my previous reply to his letter, that his previous experience with guns (war) has rendered him more than a bit gun-shy. That aside, though, HE should understand that no gun-control law will end the violence, for that violence is in the heart of humankind!

Laws, in my experience, are about as effective as signs!

Sadly,

Charles Haddon Shank

Whitehall, Montana