Letter: We must do more on gun control

The spokesman for the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, says armed guards should be on patrol at every school in the country. Does he really think that our schools should be an armed camp?

Before you know it, he’ll be advocating that each and every American should carry a gun on his or her hip. It’ll be like the old West. We’ll end up with gunfights in the streets, something akin to the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz.

I don’t know the answer to the gun problem in this country. Ninety-nine percent of the people who purchase guns don’t go out and kill people. But the system of gun control we have now is not working. Something must be done to prevent more tragedies like the one in Newtown, Conn.

Our elected officials fear the NRA and its powerful lobby in Congress. Those who do are cowards, plain and simple.

We need some type of gun control to avoid having more funerals for our children. Let’s hope our elected officials can come up with a plan to stop the violence in America.

Wayne Attuso

retired piping designer

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by DMJ - 30/12/2012

If only most Americans cared as much about the victims of gun violence as they do about their guns, we might not need to have this discussion every time some wack job bought a gun as easily as a pack of gun and decided to take out some strangers. If only...

2) Comment by billynurse - 29/12/2012

Hey!, how's that Crack and Meth control working out for ya? Stop pussy-footing around, and get the deranged off the street...or at least keep tabs on them.

3) Comment by [e-mail] - 29/12/2012

Gun control is possible; just get a firm grip on it and compensate.

4) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 29/12/2012

Gun control might have been a viable scenario for the 1800s, however, with hundreds of millions of guns already on the street, its impossible. Its like trying to control ants. Not gonna happen regardless of how many laws you have. I.E. cocaine.

5) Comment by ScotB - 28/12/2012

Less than 6% of gun violence is commited by assault weapons. We had an assault weapons ban for ten years and it had no measurable effect on gun violence per the FBI. Making alcohol illegal didn't stop people from drinking. Making marijuana illegal hasn't stopped people from smoking. Making guns illegal will just turn more regular citizens that will not give up their guns into criminals, too. Passing gun control laws won't really change anything except that - to make gun owners into criminals. The real criminals aren't going to give up their guns, no matter what. Sure, an assault weapon has few other reasons to exist other than as a tool for killing people. When it comes time to defend my home and family, that's exactly what I want....the best possible tool to kill people trying to hurt my family.

6) Comment by Whatnow - 28/12/2012

shutupandthink, I do use a gun safe.

7) Comment by shutupandthink - 28/12/2012

Why don’t we pass a law that all new homes and RVs must have a gun vault and the Federal government can give tax breaks for all home owners of older homes, hotels apartment buildings who purchase and install one. Then there would be less stolen fire arms for the criminals. And for those who don’t own guns they can use it for their valuables or whatever.

8) Comment by shutupandthink - 28/12/2012

@whatnow ... well said! I would like to add that I keep all my fire arms stored in a fire proof gun vault for two reasons primarily to deter theft and to protect them and the ammo in the event of a fire. The last thing I want is for anyone to be accidently injured by my weapons. What I am driving at is responsible gun ownership is the first step in gun control. Gun vaults are less expensive the most fire arms and should be a prerequisite to the purchase of fire arms for any responsible gun owner. When my gun vault is full I will purchase another before I purchase another weapon and have it sitting loose in my home. While I do agree something needs to be done to close the loopholes allowing criminals access to fire arms. Banning high capacity magazines and the types of fire arms we can own based on their looks or design will do nothing to deter the criminal types. Guns which may have been stolen or sold privately are where the criminals get their guns, so control that and you control the illegal guns.

9) Comment by Whatnow - 28/12/2012

So, fingerprinting and registering your guns will prevent crime? Who's going to drag the criminals in to register their guns? The only thing that will do is to be able to tell if it's illegal or not after the fact. Who is going to decide if you are trustworthy or not? The government? They can't even decide how to stop spending money and want us to give them more. This shooting gave the gun control freaks like Dianne Feinstein an excuse to push her agenda. But, she was all for a concealed weapons permit when she needed one. How many times does it take for people to understand politicians? Only for thee and not for me? Do what I say and not what I do? Never let an opportunity go to waste? When are you going to stand up for your rights and quit believing everything a politician tells you? It may start with assault weapons, but that is just the beginning of control over your freedoms. And dday, what if they come for your gun? Are you going to just hand it over? It's not only the NRA that gave us freedom, it's the Constitution and our soldiers who fought for our freedoms. Obamacare is an intrusion of our freedom to choose and it was dictated by the left. Complacency of the citizens of this country has allowed our government to become Big Brother. What is next?

10) Comment by agagent - 28/12/2012

The hypocrisy of elected officials and the super rich abound. From behind the protection of many armed guards and when they send their children to the most secure, elite schools, they campaign for taking guns from the average law-abiding citizen who cannot afford armed guards or afford to send their children to super secure schools.

11) Comment by phil - 28/12/2012

I do not have a total answer to this but I think the discussion about the old West has some importance in this. I bet they were talking about gun control back then too, and look where we are today. It appears that the thought of gun control has not really caught on in the USA and probably never will. Unfortunately there are so many guns out there now, I doubt that restricting gun ownership now will have much affect in the short term anyway. When our society cannot figure out a way to protect our own children against idiots, then perhaps we do need a law that says all citizens have to carry a gun on their hip. I am sorry that we as a society have reached that point - again. And chem. you have a good idea too.

12) Comment by chem - 28/12/2012

A sure way to prevent such violence is to drop to your knees and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ. Accept Him as your Saviour and all things are possible.

13) Comment by swinham - 28/12/2012

Our freedom of movement and rights to privacy are already non-existent in our airports, government buildings, etc. Do we really want to live in a true police state? How many people have to carry weapons for there to be a deterrent to killings? It doesn't take deep thought to realize taking every private citizen's guns away is not the answer. It should take even less thought to realize having everybody walking around with a loaded gun makes even less sense.

14) Comment by dday198 - 28/12/2012

2 Rocket Launchers Turned In During LAPD Gun Buyback (PHOTOS)

15) Comment by dday198 - 28/12/2012

you've proved my point

16) Comment by dday198 - 28/12/2012

so go buy you a canon and protect yourself genius

17) Comment by postscript56 - 28/12/2012

The first amendment guarantees the right to worship. But we are not free to practice child sacrifice in the name of worship. It also gurantees free speech..But you don't have the right to shout fire in a crowded room or slander someone with your free speech. These restrictions actaully enhance our freedoms, granting all of us certain rights and freedoms in ways which do not harm others. The same reasoning can apply to the second amendment. Restrictions on what kind of "arms" we can keep and bear does not deprive of us the right, in the same way restriction on what kind of speech is "free" does not deprive us of the freedom of speech. Though driving is not a "right," similarly one cannot drive just any vehicle on the road and when one does drive there are all sorts of rules and regulations about driving that must be followed. Doing so makes it both accessible and safer for everybody. The same thinking can be applied to gun rights. Except for those who will not think about it.

18) Comment by dday198 - 28/12/2012

most pro-choice people and nra people are the same way they don't know where the line is at

19) Comment by madbiker - 28/12/2012

I have seen the reasoning that the first amendment gives us the right to free speech, but you can’t yell fire in a theatre (unless there is one). The same people will then say limiting guns that only fire one bullet and do not automatically reload is not a limitation of second amendment rights. What an absurd comparison. Of course one can yell fire in a crowded theatre, there is nothing stopping them except their own internal controls. The first amendment cannot stop someone from speaking non-protected speech. The person who does has to face the consequences for his actions even though there is a good chance others have been seriously harmed or killed. The same is true of the second amendment. Those using guns to hurt another have to pay the consequences for their actions. Another great comment below is that sensible regulation of firearms is the only appropriate answer. There are many who say, this writer included, that they are sensibly regulated right now. However I suspect the writer below is suggesting something like post WWI Germany when most of the weapons were confiscated. Then laws were written so only a certain group could have guns; those trustworthy German citizens. Unfortunately the Jews were not trustworthy, nor German in the eyes of the government; they were not allowed gun ownership. I do not trust this government to do what is in the best interest of the people. I do not want to live in a place where only the police, military, and thugs acting as security for hire are the only people with weapons.

20) Comment by BigMike - 28/12/2012

Yeah, just get rid of the big, scary "assault" weapons. And when that doesn't work? Get rid of the hunting weapons. And when that doesn't work? Get rid of the...... See where this is going? Armed camps? I would settle for 100 armed teachers & administrators than to watch 1 child's funeral. Why is it that none sees that these monsters kill, un-hindered, because they are NOT confronted with equal, deadly force. Only when that happens does it end. Now, boys & girls, which is better? Having to wait for the police to bring their guns?.... or..... Having a teacher with a gun when the monster walks through the door?

21) Comment by Bighug - 28/12/2012

"Armed camp"? Such as the armed camp at every bank? Should we remove the armed guards at the White House, governor's mansions, houses of legislation in every state, and in airports, so they won't be "armed camps"? We should hope for the return of the ways of the old West. Mr. Attuso should hit the history books harder and not rely on Hopalong Cassidy movies for his information. Yes, the carrying of handguns was prevalent then, but crime and murder were a small fraction per capita of what they are today. twinkie, read the 2nd Amendment again. It allows the citizens to own weapons for militias. Gee, I wonder if the roots for the words "militia" and "military" are similar. If military arms are made illegal, you anti-gun nuts will then argue "The 2nd Amendment doesn't pertain to sporting arms, only arms suitable for a militia."

22) Comment by twinkie1cat - 27/12/2012

We have now had 3 recent massacres accomplished with assault rifles, the theater murders, the firemen, and Sandy Hook. The only purpose of an assault rifle is an assault on another human being. Let people have their hunting rifles and shot guns and even their manual pistols properly licensed and kept track of so the police know where every gun and every gun owner is located in case they get stuck on stupid. But get rid of semi-automatic and automatic killing machine for everyone but the police and the military. You don't have to let parents beat their children bloody to allow them to discipline them. You don't have to let people keep piranha fish in the bathtub and rattlesnakes in the backyard to allow them to own exotic pets and they don't have to have assault weapons to have their second amendment rights upheld. Sensible regulation of firearms is the only appropriate answer.