LETTER: American gun culture is a cancer
More than 400 million guns are possessed by individuals in the United States. Fourteen million guns are sold annually. Many of these are semi-automatic. Many are in the hands of individuals with mental health issues. Is it a surprise that mass shootings are a regular occurrence?
The worst mass shooting took place here in Las Vegas in 2017. A deranged gunman was able to murder 60 and wound hundreds more in a matter of minutes. He used semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks. Those who were wounded were traumatized, as were the others who attended the concert. The families of those who died also were traumatized.
This mass shooting, as well as countless others, didn’t seem to matter to the six-Republican appointed Supreme Court justices in their recent ruling overturning a ban on bump stocks. This ruling made a country that is already unsafe even more unsafe.
The majority justices suggested that Congress could pass a law banning bump stocks. The likelihood of this happening is not great. Sadly, the majority of congressional Republicans are not likely to vote for the ban, as most are more concerned about the support they receive from the NRA and gun manufacturers than the safety of their constituents.
The gun culture in this country is a cancer on our society. Kindergarten children are taught to avoid an active shooter before they learn to read. The Republican presidential candidate refers to Second Amendment rights as sacred. Shouldn’t children’s rights to attend school without fear be sacred?
