Guns should be treated like tools

Lately, members of Congress have been voicing opinions regarding some type of gun control. Both major parties have ideas and some of them are pretty good, while others are based on an emotional motive and are designed to appeal to one’s base.

Some names have been attached to certain weapons — some refer to the AR-15 as an assault weapon, for example. Well, the fact is that every gun ever made is an assault weapon. They are designed for one purpose and that is to assault another living creature. That is not something that we want to think about. This includes hunting animals, but human beings become targets for one reason or another.

We should, however, consider that guns are quite similar to tools. We use them to perform a purpose, good or bad. Cars are another example of tools that we use for mostly good purposes.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to administer tests to those who wish to purchase a gun and stricter tests to drive cars. Most car accidents are due to operator error — poor judgment, in many cases. We cannot administer tests to determine a person’s mental condition and then make it public. But certain physical conditions can prevent a person from obtaining a driver’s license.

Remember, our federal government has determined that young men, 18 years of age, can be drafted into the military and put in harm’s way. How, in good conscience, can the same government say that a young person must be 21 before he or she is qualified to purchase a gun?

In my opinion, people convicted of multiple DUIs are often not given a sufficient penalty. I also believe that the perpetrators of gun violence are too often allowed to take a plea bargain so that some assistant district attorney can put a notch in his belt as he moves up the ladder.

The punishment should fit the crime. But law-abiding citizens have rights under the Constitution that should not be denied because of the sins of others. That is not what our country is about.

N.A. LIBERTO

Blawnox