I definitely believe no one except a member of the military or a police force needs a semi-automatic or automatic weapon.
I also believe the average American does not need a magazine enabling them to get off multiple shots without reloading. This might, at least, give first responders or potential victims a chance to incapacitate a shooter.
I also believe in the rights of hunters. However, when you’re hunting, you only get one missed shot before the animal bolts away from danger. I also don’t believe the answer to gun violence is more guns.
I don’t hold out much hope that limiting automatic weapons such as the Bushmaster, AR-15s, Glock 10mm, etc., or banning high-capacity magazines will be enacted into law.
The NRA and the gun and ammunition manufacturers they represent are too powerful. They will simply obstruct any legislation hoping the outrage most of us feel dissipates.
That being said, reading in the Washington Post that there is already a proposed law in the Virginia legislature requiring teachers and principals to be armed got me thinking.
Maybe there’s another option while we work to sort out the root causes of our violent society.
Is it access to weapons, cuts in mental health funding, violent movies and video games or parental responsibility? Most likely, it’s all of the above.
When we lived in Amsterdam, they were installing what they called “man traps” in banks and jewelry stores with bullet-proof glass and metal detectors.
It’s basically a vestibule containing two sets of interlocking doors with an intercom and video that can be controlled from another part of the building. A person shows ID and/or explains their purpose for being there.
And, mind you, this is in a country where there are very few guns and crimes carried out with a gun are rare.
In the Netherlands if you want to go hunting, you go down to the local armory and sign out your gun.
If a man-trap had been in place, this latest shooter would not have gotten in carrying an arsenal of legal weapons. Additionally, bullet-proof glass everywhere in the school would have prevented the maniac from shooting his way into the building.
This system is also safe enough to be used in schools. Fire code would require that someone could exit the space while denying access to the secure area.
Why is it this, along with bullet-proof windows, couldn’t be federal law?
I can hear it now: “Oh no, our taxes will go up.” But, what kind of country do we want to live in?
A civilized society must have other priorities than simply taxes. I would pay higher taxes to protect our most vulnerable, wouldn’t you?
Elaine Monroe
Capon Bridge, W.Va.
Letters
There are ways we can protect our most vulnerable people
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Were they really good old days? You decide
When a fellow gets old, it’s not unusual for his mind to wander back to the days of his youth. He may forget where he laid his glasses five minutes ago, yet he can remember events that took place a half a century ago. This is one of the interesting things of old age.
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Wearing the poppy tells others people that you remember
On May 25, members of Farrady Unit 24 American Legion Auxiliary, Frostburg, will once again ask the citizens of the community to remember the sacrifices our veterans have made.
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Donating your old bike will help someone who really needs it
Once again Bikes for the World is collecting used bicycles at Canal Place, May 25 from 10 a.m. to noon,
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Hosting Fresh Air Children can be a memorable experience
I got a phone call, and a little voice said, “Hi Miss Linda, I’m calling to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day.”
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Stop buying licenses; let them find the money somewhere else
A few months ago, I received two cards from the National Rifle Association. These were dealing with a legislative alert.
They asked that I should contact Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Kevin Kelly concerning the anti-gun legislation. -
Strength of gun laws is not reflected in grisly statistics
According to the FBI’s uniform crime reports, California had the highest number of gun murders in 2011 with 1,220, which makes up 68 percent of all murders in the state that year and equates to 3.25 murders per 100,000 people.
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‘Forgotten warrior’ not forgotten
The Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War.” My generation remembers the Battle for LZ X-Ray at Ia Drang, The Tet Offensive, and Khe Sahn of the Vietnam War.
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Organization needed to help utilize the Potomac River
I am a committee remember on the Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway which stretches from Palmetto to Venice, Fla.
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Reducing meat consumption can help ease climate change
A review of 12,000 papers on climate change, in the May 15 issue of “Environmental Research Letters,” found that 97 percent of scientists attribute climate change to human activities.
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Maryland has stopped being “The Free State”
I am a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and, last but not least, the National Rifle Association. I am a yearly member of the American Legion.
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Were they really good old days? You decide
