On Jan. 27, a 22-year-old man carried a loaded semi-automatic rifle into a grocery store in Charlottesville, Va. This petrified the shoppers and prompted 911 calls. When the police arrived, the man was not arrested because he had not shot anyone. Since he had not shot anyone, no crime was committed, he did not break any laws — he was demonstrating his Second Amendment rights.
Am I the only one who is concerned with this picture? Does this mean if someone had noticed the heavily armed man walk into the theater in Aurora, Colo., or the school in Newtown, Conn., no one could have stopped him — not even the police — because he hadn’t shot anyone yet?
Please contact Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., and ask them to support the ban on semi-automatic guns. There are gun owners around us who do not have respect for “the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” of their fellow citizens. With gun ownership comes responsibility. We are unfortunately experiencing a frequent number of disrespectful, irresponsible, and provocative gun owners.
Kristina Younce
La Center
