Longer sentences

Re “Former football player from Chesapeake man sentenced to 18 months for firearms trafficking, officials say” (July

6): Lately, I’ve seen numerous calls in these pages for new guns laws to stop the violence. Not to be too cynical, but why bother? What difference will new laws make if we won’t enforce them with any more vigor than we do current law?

The article mentioned above is about Kevin Staton, Jr., of Chesapeake, who purchased 45 guns to illegally resell, according to officials. One of the guns was found in Philadelphia and was connected to three shootings, including one involving a homicide and another involving injuries. That’s just one gun. He sold others connected to mayhem across the country. What was his penalty? Eighteen months. Not years, months. I guess Philadelphia lives don’t really matter.

To add insult to injury, we get treated to a self-serving statement from U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber. “... we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to profit from these crimes.” Really? How about relentlessly prosecuting those who do get caught? I can understand showing some mercy to a girlfriend or family member who felt pressured into making a straw purchase. But for this guy, seemingly selling guns for fun and profit?

I understand the frustration around gun crime and the desire of people to do something. In this case, though, “something” needs to be using the tools that are already available, such as Aber seeking just sentences for those who are feeding the violence with illegal guns. Without real enforcement, no laws, old or new, will make a dent in the gun violence epidemic.

— David Jennings, Hampton