Address the slaughter

I am angry and in pain with what has taken place in El Paso, Dayton, and Gilroy recently, and with what has happened to our nation these past few years with all this senseless slaughter. I have followed the calls by “liberals” for more control over guns, ranging from outlawing them altogether or to aspects of certain guns such as high-capacity magazines. These calls have been met with derision and disdain by gun advocates who say that they need these to protect their families and to hunt.

Well, I have a few questions for you gun folks: Where were the gun advocates in El Paso, Dayton, and Gilroy? There must have been a few of you in the crowd or who lost loved ones. Why weren’t you there with your guns? It’s legal to carry loaded long weapons in Texas, so why weren’t you armed and ready to protect your families?

A question for the NRA: What is your solution to this slaughter? I would love to hear a concrete suggestion from you.

I am not against the Second Amendment. I have no problem with pistols and hunting rifles. What appalls me is the ability of a person to kill and wound dozens in a single incident. We have to use what little common sense we have to find a way to keep weapons with these high-capacity magazines off the market. We may not stop the killing, but maybe, just maybe, we can slow it down! We need to elect people of conscience who are willing to risk it all (including NRA funding) to change our current laws and address this horrible situation. FRANK RUSSELL White Hall