Researching the facts

While I respect your stance concerning the status of assault weapons, I feel compelled to take issue with several statements in Sept. 14’s editorial, “Designed for Killing.” Despite the intimidating name, assault weapons can be used defensively. Many homeowners can and do use these firearms to protect themselves and their homes. You would be hard pressed to find a burglar who still invades a home knowing its owners have assault weapons.

The editorial stated that one of the purposes of the Second Amendment (the ability to rise up against oppression) was outdated, because any revolution is “supportive of anarchy.” In the 1770s, British officials made similar accusations against our nation’s founders, yet U.S. citizens rose from oppression and near anarchy to form the nation which we live in today. Even though today’s government might not be viewed as oppressive, there is no way to guarantee it will remain harmless. If we disarm ourselves now, we would remove the means for our ancestors to defend themselves from tyranny.

The claim that the weapons ban contained “loopholes that allowed for simple modifications to enable semi-automatic firing of legal weapons” is rather confused. Semi-automatic firearms, which only fire one bullet for every pull of the trigger, were the only firearms controlled by the assault weapons ban. Fully automatic firearms are still illegal to own or build without proper federal licenses. In fact, none of the characteristics controlled by the assault weapons ban pertain to the rate of fire.

I do appreciate your support of gun locks. Many firearm organizations, including the NRA, have programs which advocate safety devices such as gun locks and safety training as well. Accidental shootings are preventable through careful steps including childproofing guns and firearms safety training.

In short, while I understand your stance on firearms, I urge you to carefully consider your reasoning and make sure that you research the topic thoroughly so you can form an educated opinion.

Ezekiel Johnson

senior in mechanical engineering