Letter to the editor: Too many guns, not enough laws

The writer of the letter “We have plenty of gun laws” (Jan. 6, TribLive) writes “it seems to me” we have enough gun laws already. Then why do we have so many more shootings than other countries with strict regulation?

He says the U.S. cities with the strictest gun laws have the most gun violence. But he has the cart before the horse — the laws were made in response to the violence. Also, guns cross state lines with no resistance. If he had compared countries, with tighter border security than states, he would have seen a definite correlation between easy gun access and shootings.

He says Pennsylvania “already has universal background checks for all firearm dealers.” But the word “universal” means “all.” If you can’t pass the check, just go buy whatever you want from a private citizen without even a handshake. Surely the framers didn’t intend that any idiot can buy any gun with no background check or training.

He closes with the usual claptrap about his “liberties,” which were granted to him under the usual distorted reading of the Second Amendment, which was written when there was no national army and we relied on “well regulated militias” for our defense.

We have too many guns and consequently too many shootings. Would a doctor trained by the NRA School of Medicine say that the cure for disease is more germs?

We need to close the gun show loophole, and ban assault rifles which have no place in civilized society.

Let’s get to work. The next Sandy Hook is coming!

Fred Durig

Delmont