Editor:
I do not share Denton May's opinion that more laws will fix gun violence. He states "the people want gun reform," as if everyone does. Many of us are aware that current laws should prevent the problems he addresses. We might as well make it illegal to perpetrate illegal acts. Will it ever occur to some that simply making a law won't affect many of the actions of criminals, but will only affect law abiding citizens? The argument for more gun laws is it'll make it harder on criminals. No, in this case it'll make it harder on law abiding citizens because criminals ignore laws.
Limit gun magazines to 10 rounds? Why not two or 30? There are already millions upon millions of high capacity magazines out there. If it were possible to magically make them all disappear and start over, then the restriction might make some sense. However, that's not possible. It's just something that sounds good on the surface but actually will do nothing against gun violence. Ban "assault rifles"? That also sounds good, but is pointless because the vast majority of criminal acts involving guns are done with handguns, not "assault rifles." FBI statistics show more criminal acts are done with shotguns or knives than "assault rifles." An "assault rifle" is a cosmetically altered rifle. It's not structurally different than many hunting rifles. One can easily turn an "assault" rifle into a hunting rifle and vice versa.
Everything Mr. May said about conservatives Fox News, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh can also be said about leftists MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz and Al Sharpton. If you, like me, don't enjoy the extreme propaganda on either side, turn it off. Obviously both sides are making "obscene livings" trying to scare people, because, in Mr. May's words, both sides "have no limits to shabby scurrility."
I'll also use Mr. May's words to end my letter, but change "gun owners" to "anti-gunners": The rights of anti-gunners end where they imperil our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Rick Corbitt
Dolores
Via email