Seeking gun sense
Disgraceful plan
Regarding “We the (gun) people” (Page A27, Sunday) and “Legislative obsession” (Page A29, Sunday), your two articles on our Texas obsession with guns say it best with the problem being “those in public office who worry more about bowing before the NRA than lowering their heads in mourning.”
How many gun tragedies do we need in our country before we talk about sensible gun laws and sensible ownership? Supporting House Bill 375, sponsored by state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, allowing folks to carry guns without any training nor a permit is nonsense, irresponsible, horrifying and disgraceful.
What is wrong with adding some gun safety laws into the mix? Do our Texan legislators enjoy reading statistics that 600 Texan children are killed or injured every year from gunfire? I am disgusted that these stats exist, and yes, our state is becoming the metaphorical frog boiling in the pot of hot water, as we sit by accepting the outrageous gun culture as the norm. Nena Marshall, Houston
Lives at risk
As a family physician, I have taken care of people who became disabled by firearms. I have learned about children who hurt themselves accidentally and others who take their lives intentionally using handguns. We could do more to prevent disability and death from guns.
One thing that will not help is permitless carry. Currently, Texas legislators are considering bills HB 375 and HB 1911 that would remove all training and licensing requirements to carry loaded handguns in public. Rolling back licensing laws would allow teenagers, people with no safety training and dangerous criminals to carry loaded weapons in public.
Allowing untrained people to carry guns in public could be dangerous for police officers. In an emergency, police have a hard time telling whether the person with a gun is a bad guy or a good guy.
Blue lives matter, but so do the rest of ours. Gun rights should not put the lives of others at risk. Dr. Bich-May Nguyen, Houston