I grew up the daughter of generations of hunters. I was a pretty good shot in my day, deemed best marksman at my summer camp. I named all my dolls “Annie” for Annie Oakley.
Decades later, I join those dismayed by the lack of initiative by responsible leadership in addressing the American epidemic of needless deaths by gun violence. What price are we paying for this distorted concept of “freedom”?
Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I understand the logic. Let’s counter with a slight variation — same notion, different weapon. Cars don’t kill people, people driving cars do. How easy this medicine of prevention slides down. We require driver ed, testing, licensing and implementation of the best and latest technology in efforts to successfully save lives. My own 19 year-old life was saved by my car’s roll cage and seat belts.
How many precious lives have we failed to save in pandering to gun-rights groups’ irrational insistence that gun ownership, concealed carry privileges and more guns make a safer America? Facts convey increases in gun ownership closely match the rise in gun deaths, along with unprecedented profit to gun and ammunition manufacturers and the paid lobbyists who fund “leaders.”
We’ve come to expect oversight and safety in our water supplies, our food sources, our building codes. Let’s delete that intentionally triggering phrase gun “control”. Let’s call it what it is, responsible weapon-safety oversight. The lives we save may be our own and countless lives of our precious children.
Berry Manter
Portland
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