Reforms won’t hurt honest gun owners

ON MONDAY, (March 22) 10 innocent people were murdered in a Boulder grocery store by a man with an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon. CNN points out this marks seven mass shootings in the United States in seven days, and according to the AntiDefamation League, there have been 107 such events since the beginning of this year.

While my sentiments are neither new nor original, with each of these incidents I find it more appalling that, as we continue to offer love, thoughts, prayers, condolences and sympathy, we fail to pass common-sense gun laws, close loopholes in background checks and ban assault weapons. …

On Tuesday, the day after the most recent mass shooting, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, labeled the call for gun reform, such as closing loopholes in background checks, “theater” and opined this is “taking guns away from law-abiding citizens.” This is not actually true, as proposals are related only to future sales, not current ownership. Also, the majority of Americans support sound background checks and rational gun legislation. As Republicans call common-sense gun laws a violation of their constitutional rights, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., aptly points out, “No one has the constitutional right to shoot up grocery stores, schools and theaters with AR-15s.”

Discussion is underway in the federal legislature to tighten up loopholes in background checks and control the sale of assault weapons. These are common-sense measures that will not take guns away from mentally capable, law-abiding citizens. I urge everyone to take a rational and fact-oriented position and support common-sense gun laws, and call, write or email your legislators. Love, thoughts, prayers, condolences and sympathy are lovely, but on their own they simply cannot curb the epidemic of gun violence. LIBBY HOPKINS Albuquerque