More insane arguments from NRA’s LaPierre

To the editor:

During the National Rifle Association’s recent convention in Houston, CEO Wayne LaPierre made one of the more remarkable observations in recent memory. Using the terrorist attacks in Boston as a backdrop, he wondered aloud about all of those people forced to seek shelter in their homes while the Tsarnaev brothers were going on shooting rampages throughout the city. He implied that more comprehensive background checks on gun purchases would somehow have left many of those frightened people unable to defend themselves.

On what planet is this man living? Every single one of those law-abiding citizens hunkered down in their homes would not have been affected one iota by universal background checks. Not one bit.

But in the world of Mr. LaPierre and the NRA, our society is better off and we all are safer without universal background checks. We are all better off when a man such as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, whom the Russians had warned could be associated with terrorist groups, is allowed in this country to go to gun shows or surf the Internet, and buy, say, 20 AR-15s, multiple high-capacity magazines and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, no questions asked.

Thanks, Mr. LaPierre. That does make me feel much safer.

ROB POWERS

LAS VEGAS

Leave law-abiding Americans alone

To the editor:

In response to Mark Isaacs’ Wednesday letter, “Heller gun vote”:

In 2010, nearly 73,000 people were denied a gun purchase for various reasons as a result of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. About 48,000 of the people denied were felons or fugitives, and the number of prosecutions was 44.

It appears that bringing a criminal case for lying on a government form is a relatively low priority for prosecutors. The stats are similar for the past two administrations because neither the Bush administration nor the Obama administration ever prosecuted even a quarter of 1 percent of the people who failed to pass a criminal background check.

Why increase restrictions on law-abiding people when we’re not prosecuting under the current law? Our government continues to pursue gun legislation that focuses on law-abiding citizens. We would be much better served if our government would spend its time and resources pursuing criminals.

GORDON HURST

LAS VEGAS