This nation has a longstanding history of gun violence. So far this year, there have been 23,534 deaths, including 186 children under 11 and 333 mass shootings, with thousands of others wounded. The recently passed law aimed at addressing this problem is the equivalent of giving cough medicine to a person with lung cancer.
To beat lung cancer, drastic measures are required. The same can be said of the effective measures needed to address gun violence. The Second Amendment ratified in 1791 connects the right to bear arms to the need for a well-regulated militia. Standing armies did not exist at that time. I found nine Supreme Court cases addressing the Second Amendment. The 1939 case United States v. Miller separated the right to bear arms from the need for a well-regulated militia. The overall result of these nine opinions is that an 18-year-old person can buy a weapon that can fire as fast as he can pull the trigger, along with 300 rounds of ammunition and then do the same thing again a few days later. No safety training or knowledge of the weapon required. Getting a driving license is far more difficult.
It is time to look at this situation in light of today’s weapons and the current construction of our society if we going to make any meaningful changes to this ongoing tragedy. This is not going to happen. A vocal, powerful minority will prevent any such discussion. So, in the foreseeable future, the violence will continue and may get worse.
I am not against responsible gun ownership; I own two bolt-action rifles and a six-shot revolver. Safety and other training came courtesy of the British Army in 1952.
— Peter Jenkins
Eagle River
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.