I am a gun owner, hunter and an Army veteran of three wars. I have seen many gunshot wounds from high-velocity rounds like those produced by the AR-15 used recently in the Florida school tragedy. It makes me sick to think of the horrible wounds these kids suffered.
The time has come to act responsibly and accomplish four things immediately: 1. Stop accepting all money from the NRA, as this gives the impression of improper influence from the gun lobby. 2. Stop selling assault weapons to civilians. They are designed to kill people and have no other legitimate use. 3. Pass laws immediately requiring extensive background checks, mandatory training and a waiting period prior to gun ownership. 4. Stop blaming the killings on mental illness. Canada, Australia and other countries have mentally ill citizens too, but, as a result of effective gun control measures, these countries suffer only a fraction of the deaths our country does.
The right for Americans to own guns should not outweigh the right of our citizens to be protected from weapons owned by unstable people allowed to purchase guns due to our abysmally lax gun laws.
Thomas H. Mader, Moab
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