Those seeking to ban guns now use terms like common sense and gun safety to sugarcoat their intent. Legislation under consideration includes a ban on popular firearms (renamed assault weapons) and efforts to forbid most voting-age adults (18-21 years old) to purchase or possess firearms.
The assault weapons ban is focused on whether a firearm is modeled to look like military weapons which are not available to the public. The fact that the firearm does not function like a military weapon is ignored. If we think this is a logical way to keep Delawareans safe, then we should also outlaw motor vehicles that do the same thing, starting with Jeeps and Humvees.
With respect to raising the age at which an adult can purchase a firearm, it would be logically consistent to raise the age at which the same adults can buy (or rent) motor vehicles, knives, pressure cookers, fertilizer or alcohol. All of these have been directly associated with violence, murder and mass killings. Along the same lines, why not raise the age at which an adult can marry, enter into a legal contract, enlist in the military, seek psychiatric or other medical treatment, abortion or decide to change gender? In fact the law has lowered the age for many of these decisions.
If our legislators want to prevent another horrific event like the shooting in Florida and others like it, why not review the clear signs the killers gave to family, friends, teachers, law enforcement, and medical professionals which were ignored or trivialized?
This legislation takes away a constitutional right. We can and must address dangers in our midst without damaging our constitutional rights as Americans.
These efforts defy common sense; they are, at best, irrational.
Janis G. Chester, M.D.
Dover
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