In a recent letter to the editor the writer argues that the Founding Fathers wanted a safeguard to prevent tyranny (“Second Amendment is a safeguard,” Our Readers’ Views, April 20). This was a real concern in 1791, the year the amendment was written as part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment talks about “a well-regulated militia” as necessary for defense against the federal government. When that right was exercised it was called the Civil War. As for protection against foreign powers, that’s what our costly U.S. military is for.
The European and Scandinavian countries have strict gun laws and are spared the increasing carnage of gun violence that we see every day in the U.S. None of those countries have devolved into tyranny. I see the situation we have as a national embarrassment.
The inability to make real reforms in this country around gun control has created a very dangerous situation that I believe would have horrified the Founding Fathers. What worked in 1791 is not working now.
