After reading both Peter Graffagnino’s “What role does money play in mass shootings?” (Nov. 3) and Jeff Hague’s response, “Writer too focused on guns, rather than people using them” (Nov. 26), I would like to point out that Mr. Hague regurgitates the National Rifle Association’s position on reducing gun deaths: “Nothing will work.”
What Mr. Hague does is point out that automatic firearms are not really automatic, an NRA boilerplate position. He points out that the U.S. Supreme Court, an extremely conservative court, has ruled that “AR”-style weapons are normalized, also an NRA position. He tries to school the reader on what “AR” stands for (NRA). He tries to reason that automatic weapons have been around for a long time and that smaller firearms are more prominent in gun deaths and that cars, knives, hammers, blah, blah, blah are also dangerous weapons.
What Mr. Hague does not do, as his kind never does, is offer a solution. They are willing to accept what the world — nay, only our country — has become. His position seems to be that mass murders are commonplace and that we can do nothing to stop them, so we need to just get over it. If he is so quick to point out that it is the person behind the firearm that kills, then where are his solutions? Where are the 75% of firearm owners who are willing to accept commonsense laws?
Here are some solutions: 1.) longer wait times to purchase; 2.) more conclusive background checks on all firearm purchases; 3.) registering firearms; 4.) training for firearms purchasers; 5.) age limits to purchasing some, if not all, firearms; 6.) crackdowns on straw and gun show purchases; 7.) gun safety measures in the home; and 8.) stronger red flag laws, allowing mental health professionals to report those who are a danger to themselves or others. I could go on about new laws affecting only the person, not the gun.
All these solutions having nothing to do with eliminating his vaunted AR, ArmaLite, automated, artillery, etc., weapon. Most of these solutions have become commonplace when buying a car, getting married, having a child, getting a loan, carrying a weapon on a military installation, threatening the life of another person, buying fertilizer from a home store, buying Dayquil from a pharmacy and many other areas. Yes, Mr. Hague, I had to show my license to buy Dayquil. These rules have become commonplace in many aspects of our lives, just like terrible mass murders.
So, come on, Mr. Hague, how about it? What are your solutions? Instead of saying that no gun control measures will work, what are your solutions?
Commissioner George “Jody” Sweeney
Kent County Levy Court 5th District
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