After the recent horrific shootings we will again hear the “Great Debate” over guns. One side wants guns banned, and the other side resists any restriction on gun ownership and thinks that if more people are armed these tragedies wouldn’t happen.
I was struck by some reports in the media that a majority of NRA members did not oppose background checks or reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. Since there has been a stalemate for too long in this debate over guns, I think it is time for arms manufacturers and the NRA to take a leadership role in finding and promoting steps that will truly eliminate or at least minimize the unacceptable number of deaths caused by guns in the United States.
Since the supporters of Second Amendment rights seem to have won the battle in Congress and in the courts, I think it is time for them to realize that too many people get shot and killed each year in the U.S. I ask them to show that they too are concerned about the loss of life and help this nation find a solution to all of this gun violence.
Ted Hook
Vancouver
