Know where to start

I am an avid hunter. I own “semiautomatic” shotguns and a rifle for my hunting passion. I also care for children; I have seen the devastating effects of gun violence: death, paralysis, and permanent psychological harm. In 2016, there were 3,143 firearm-related deaths of children in the U.S., with 60 percent due to homicide. Childhood firearm deaths were second only to automobile accidents (4,074) and almost twice as many children as cancer.

Your editorial “Familiar territory/ Of guns, shootings and having no clue” misses the mark. While we still need research, we absolutely know where to start. The six largest national medical associations representing 731,000 physicians have given our legislators a template that will not take a constitutional amendment. These include comprehensive background checks, enhanced research, domestic-violence restrictions, enhanced firearm storage requirements, improved access to mental health, the ability to petition a judge to remove firearms, to counsel families on firearm safety, and to regulate high-capacity weapons that can kill 10 people per minute. A recent study in our journal demonstrates we can decrease childhood deaths by 40 percent by implementing just some of these measures.

I believe the NRA should be exposed for its real agenda: to sell more guns. Our state’s newspaper should be more thoughtful in its editorials. The follow-up editorial, “Some little piggies,” relating the need to keep assault weapons for feral hog control, was disingenuous. Permits can be issued for wildlife management.

The mortality rate per 100,000 in children from automobile accidents fell from 9.8 in 2007 to 6.1 in 2015. The firearm rate of 5.4 has only decreased to 5.2 per 100,000 since 2007. We need our politicians to act on gun violence. In the meantime, 30 children will die in the Natural State this year from gun violence. Let’s stop this!

WHIT HALL

Little Rock