More guns, more death
More guns, more death
To Roger Schweitzer (Your Views, Sept 16): I wholeheartedly agree with you that our policymakers should make harsher sentences for those who use guns illegally (I will copy these letters to them), but time has proven your other arguments incorrect.
More guns equals more gun deaths. More regulation equals fewer gun deaths.
If you notice the Second Amendment states “a well regulated militia” is necessary to maintain a free state. “Regulation” means laws. I am sure our forefathers were not condoning a free-for-all, going back to the times of the Wild West (open carry). Arming our crazies with assault weapons is not what they were thinking.
And I agree, the genie is out of the bottle on the mainland. That’s exactly why I could not live there any longer. There are so many guns there now, and the mentality has become so demented that there is probably no going back to self-regulation as they did in Australia and immediately eliminated their mass murders and drastically lowered violent gun deaths.
That’s why Hawaii is so unique for the United States. Our lawmakers have so far stood up to the NRA and gun manufacturers. I congratulate them! We are probably the only state that still can control our gun deaths with stricter regulations and make it even safer for our citizens.
You know, Roger, I suggest that you move to Wyoming — the No. 1 state in gun deaths per capita, but ranked with the least restrictive gun laws. Or maybe Louisiana — the No. 2 state in gun deaths and ranked with almost no restrictive gun laws. Or even Mississippi — the No. 3 state in gun deaths and also has almost no restrictive gun laws. You would fit right in!
I don’t think Hawaii is ready to arm our kindergarten teachers, force them to own weapons and keep them locked and loaded in their desks, ready to kill another human being.
Please, let’s instead encourage our policymakers to create even stricter gun laws and harsher sentences for gun violence, making Hawaii the safest state ever!
Joan Hildal
Keaau