On safety and security

As we continue the national debate over what level of gun regulations we need in order to continue to be considered a civilized society, I have engaged several on this issue personally.

I’ve found that those who own guns, especially a lot of them, have some of their sense of self-worth tied up in guns. They say they use them for protection. In other words, guns equal safety and security. Those of us who want more gun regulations argue that guns are often used to harm, not protect. But gun owners don’t see it that way. That may not make sense to many of us who don’t own guns, but it does to them.

The gun industry and the NRA remind me, at least partially, of the tobacco industry. Many of us remember the sultry model smoking a cigarette in those slick magazine ads years ago. The message: Smoking is the sexy and “in” thing to do, health consequences be damned. Just like the NRA and the gun industry has nurtured the illusion that guns make one tough and independent and able to “fight the government.” Oh, and you can’t have just one. You need more than that to be even tougher; just like cigarettes, the more the sexier.

Until this nation comes to grips with the fact that you don’t need dozens of guns and more powerful automatic weapons to effectively “protect” your family, we will never make progress. While I respect those who choose to have a pistol for protection or a rifle for hunting, there need to be limits. I’ve never owned a firearm and have never fired one. I’ve actually only held a handgun once, and I’ve done pretty well for myself and am happy with my life after 42 years.

RICHARD MOORE

Little Rock