What good is government that won’t protect us against guns?

If it were true that the answer to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, why does Congress insist on keeping its buildings gun- free? And why are you not allowed to bring a gun into an NRA office or into an NRA convention? The fact is that police officers ( that is, good guys with guns) with many years experience have been gunned down before being able to pull out their guns.

When gun manufacturers’ desire to optimize profits trumps the right of 350 million Americans to live free of gun violence, do we still have a democracy? What good is a government that refuses to perform its most basic task of protecting its citizens?

As an example of governmental failure to protect, why are terrorist suspects on no- fly lists allowed to buy semi- automatic weapons? Why would anyone not in a war need such a weapon?

Other first- world countries have their share of mentally ill people. The difference is that the U. S. is the only one with easy access to guns. Ever since Australia passed strict gun control laws, many years ago, its gun death toll fell dramatically, including gun suicides.

Lanlan Hoo, Wheaton

Regulateweapons

One of theNational Rifle Association’s strongest advocates, Donald Trump, has suggested that arming teacherswould be away to prevent moremass school shootings. That same reasoningwould say thatwe should arm popcorn sellers atmovie theaters and ushers at churches.

Let’s keep military- style weapons, whose very purpose is to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time, out of the hands of ordinary Americans. Let’s do background checks on everyone who wants to acquire any other gun. Persons with mental health issues should not be allowed to obtain a weapon. Let’s require a government license for EVERY sale of ANY legal weapon.

Let’s look to other countries that have found a way to solve the problem of civilians, guns, and the carnage that can occur.

It’s not about the freedom of the Second Amendment. It’s aboutmy right tomove about inmy daily life without the fear of being shot. We regulate cars, dogs, cabdrivers, and doing major renovations to a home. Why not regulate weapons that can take awaymy freedom to live?

KarenWagner, RollingMeadows

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