Mr. Burnley’s article titled “Taking a stance on gun control” in the Sept. 27 edition is exactly the type of closed-minded gun advocacy that keeps guns in the hands of criminals. His points are the same ones we always hear:
• It is in the Constitution. The Constitution has been changed many times and was intended to be a living document. The founding fathers were in danger of an attack by a large army and its own army was a band of citizens, not a standing armed force. The circumstances today have changed greatly and to cling to this constitutional “right” defies actual discussion of the problem.
• People who have strong opinions on either side are “Looney Tunes.” “Looney Tunes” on either side of the issue is an insulting term for both gun proponents and opponents and again dismisses any possibility of rational discussion.
• People will get guns if they really want them. Perhaps for some phase-out period, that would be the situation, but it is a sacrifice worth undertaking for the security of future generations. Calling it impossible to prevent mentally ill individuals from going on shooting sprees is akin to saying that seatbelt laws are bad because there will still be people who choose not to wear their seatbelts.
Overall, Mr. Burnley is a typical gun owner who secretly fears his right to bear arms will be taken away, so he throws up his hands and says since there is no easy solution, we must laugh at rational conversation aimed at solving this epidemic of mass murder and suicide at the hands of guns that is a uniquely American problem.
While my personal views leak through in this letter, I am by no means an advocate of eliminating guns for hunting or even protection in some cases. But anyone who thinks that trying to solve a gigantic problem of any kind is simply “too hard” to tackle is not someone I am going to respect. Guns are a huge problem in our society and there need to be ways to address the problem without eliminating their lawful use and without dismissing efforts to curb the problem as “too hard”.
John Sertich
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
