The horrific slaughter in Aurora, Colo., revealed what most Americans must already know: Weapons in general, and assault weapons specifically, are unfortunately easily accessible and all too often end up in the hands of disturbed and criminal individuals. The tragedy in Aurora, sadly, is not a rare event in the United States. In every major and minor city across the country there are thousands of deaths yearly which, mostly in poor urban localities, rarely get reported. And, we don’t have to look very far into the past to recognize the names of Columbine, Virginia Tech, Beltway Snipers, and Tucson, Ariz., to name a few.
As a gun owner and combat medic with a tour in Vietnam, I do not see the need for owning a military assault weapon. These weapons are designed for one thing only, the efficient killing of another human being. These weapons and the sales of all weapons and ammo at gun shows and the Internet must be tightly regulated. A common-sense Weapons Responsibility Act, rather than a dollar-driven sale, could very well stop the next atrocity.
Keep in mind that the Aurora shooter acquired his weapons and over 6,000 rounds of ammo legally, and did not raise a red flag.
Rich Raitano
La Center