The Las Vegas shooter’s offensive cache of automatic weapons

“Grief, confusion,” Oct. 3 news story.

The deplorable and profoundly tragic shooting in Las Vegas yet again demonstrates in bold relief that semi- and fully-automatic rifles are offensive weapons — offensive in both of its meanings: as “repugnant” and as “aggressively initiating action.”

Automatic weapons are not the right instrument for hunting or personal protection. Their only real purpose is to kill lots of people in the shortest time possible. Do we really need that?

Are you listening, NRA? Be bold and get on the right side of history. Cowboy up and support a total ban on possession of all types of automatic weapons. ●●●

“Past time for honest debate,” Oct. 3 editorial.

A key claim advanced in this editorial is about the weapons used in the Las Vegas slaughter: “[T]he deadly efficiency such weapons make possible ought to clarify the conversation.”

Yes, let us carefully determine how this man obtained and placed 23 guns in his hotel room, these automatic or semi-automatic weapons, some with scopes. The conversation ought to aim at making it impossible to assemble such a cache of weapons, some capable of “40- to 50round bursts” of fire, as a front-page article reported.

Yes, after careful research we should not let the outcome be dictated by the National Rifle Association, no matter how large the contributions they make to elect our lawmakers, nor the propaganda campaigns directed to us, potential victims of future madness.