Letter: Argues for more guns

Dear Editor,

The tragic events in Colorado have brought out the usual suspects beating the drum for yet more gun control: Bill O’Reilly, Mayor Mike “Nanny” Bloomberg, Senator Diane Feinstein etc. all calling for even more regulations for firearms and ammunition.

On O’Reilly’s show (July 24) he was over the top; raving (paraphrasing here) that “anyone can buy mortars, bazookas and automatic firearms and the feds don’t know about it” (and) “he had 6,000 rounds of ammunition.”

It would behoove Mr. O’Reilly to check his facts. For competitive shooters, whether handgun or shotgun sports, 6,000 rounds wouldn’t last long. Dedicated handgun competitors can easily use at least 5,000 rounds within a month while serious trap shooters will use 15,000 or more per year to maintain their skill level. Big city liberals like Bloomberg and moderates like O’Reilly simply have no experience, background or desire to learn anything about firearms.

No one can stop a person from creating havoc — period. However, if armed citizens had been allowed in that theater there might have been less loss of life and considerable savings of time and money to the justice system. When a defenseless target-rich environment is available (schools, malls, theaters) with no one allowed to carry self-defense tools the outcome is sadly predictable. How many incidences like this occur at some police station? Liberals never figure this out. Frankly, the book “More Guns, Less Crime” by Dr. John Lott should be mandatory reading for high school English literature classes.

Sales of firearms have jumped over 40 percent in the Colorado area since this event. Police can only respond after a crime has been committed. More people are realizing that when seconds count — police are minutes away. It’s up to the individual to protect themselves.

The old maxim still applies – “an armed society is a polite society.”

Tags: opinion, letters, crime