To Sean Fina, the school shootings are a very despicable act (“Students want safety,” April 12). You want to “ensure” that you are safe at school. How is banning one type of weapon, the AR-15, going to “ensure” that you are safe? There are millions of them out there.
There are an estimated 100 million Kalashnikov-type rifles in the world, the AK-47 type rifles. Many countries are still using them as their main battle rifles; cheap, reliable, powerful. There are many, many of them (in differing versions) in this country. There are also quite a few other types of semi-automatic rifles available.
Although I’m sure your heart is in the right place, Sean, I believe your efforts are misguided.
It sure seems like nobody was surprised when it was revealed that Nikolas Cruz was the shooter. Maybe mental health should be the focus.
Connie Ford, you’re offended by gun stores (“Guns in Santa Maria,” April 12). What about tobacco stores? Gun deaths were 13,000-plus in 2015. Tobacco-related deaths were approximately 480,000. They are 100 percent preventable, but they have a very large, well funded lobby. What’s a half million deaths, when you have a nice fat wallet? I find that truly offensive.
What about stores that sell gang-related/style clothes? Eighty percent of gun deaths are gang related. Do those places bother you?
I don’t go into the cigarette stores, or any place that sells gang-related clothing. You don’t have to go into the gun stores.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 3, 2018.
