The following letter was sent to Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, with a copy sent to the Cape Gazette for publication.
As one of your constituents, I feel the need to respond to your op-ed regarding the March For Our Lives and gun control legislation. You feel that as a Republican you have crossed party lines and voted for many gun control laws but draw the line at a ban of military-style assault weapons. You called adults who disagree with you "partisan." You are entitled to your opinion, but you entirely missed the point the kids are trying to make.
Gun control laws that don't ban military-style rapid-fire weapons are not what these kids want. The baby-step laws, and thoughts and prayers are not making them feel safe. They do not want to go to school in a fortified prison.
This is not a partisan issue but a community issue. The people who Marched For Our Lives are children, parents, teachers and citizens of both parties who are tired of being afraid in their schools, music concerts, sporting events and churches. They may be Republicans, Democrats, hunters, skeet shooters, gun owners and pacifists. They don't want to face down a shooter who can fire 30 rounds in a matter of seconds. They are sick that Congress will not do anything about this. They are turning to the state legislators to act for them locally.
You said you felt that SB163, in banning assault-style weapons, goes too far and may violate the Second Amendment to the Constitution. You will be relieved to know that we had an assault weapon ban from 1994 until George W. Bush allowed it to expire in 2004. You may also be relieved to know that on Friday, a federal judge, U.S. District Judge William Young, dismissed a lawsuit challenging the 20-year-old ban in Massachusetts on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, and found that they are not protected by the Second Amendment.
The people who support this type of legislation do not want to take away citizens' right to hunt or protect their families. We just don't want those citizens hunting or protecting with military-style assault weapons. These weapons are made to hunt people. They kill a lot of people quickly, making it difficult to disarm the gunman.
Fact: 13 kids were killed at Columbine High School; 32 kids were killed at Virginia Tech; 27 people were killed at Sandy Hook; 49 nightclub patrons were killed in Orlando; 14 co-workers were killed in San Bernardino; 59 concert goers were killed in Las Vegas.; 17 kids were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
These innocent people were all gunned down with rapid- fire semiautomatic weapons.
For the sake of our safety please rethink your vote on this important bill. It could happen here to our loved ones. Throw some bipartisan support toward this bill and show our kids you are not afraid of the NRA.
Martha Sweeney
Rehoboth Beach
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