Eric Moutsos’ recent commentary ("Without guns there is no America”) had me perplexed as to why a small nonrepresentative (to the U.S. at least) country of 8 million in a hostile region was chosen for comparison purposes.

I now know: Israel was chosen due to its extremely sensible gun regulations. Citizens in Israel must pass through extensive background checks and, once approved, can own only one gun — a handgun (no semi-automatic weapons, plus there are limits on ammunition). Additionally, each permitted gun owner must renew said permit annually. In addition to these sensible gun laws, there is compulsory two-year military service, during which one learns to respect and safely operate weapons of destruction.

Thank you, Eric, for shining a spotlight on common-sense gun regulations utilized by one of our closest allies. Ironic that Israel, a country of “good guys” without full unmitigated access to firearms, still seems to be safe from the “bad guys.”

However, there is one point of contention when using the thoughtless, tired trope “How many Jews would be saved during the Holocaust if only they had access to firearms”: Consider the tragic outcome of the 1943 armed Jewish uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Lack of access to firearms is not what led to the genocides of the 20th century. Instead, it was the rise of a demagogue who appeals to aggrieved “victim citizens” and places blame for all of society’s ills on specific minority groups and openly advocates for persecution of these groups. Couldn’t happen again … right?

Scott Fenwick, Salt Lake City