Taking their shot at gun violence

A reader makes a passionate plea for armed guards at all public schools [“Armed guards can protect our students,” Letters, June 7]. While many may find this to be a welcome solution to our national gun violence problem, it is not.

Our federal and state governments, along with the Supreme Court, have co-opted our 231-year-old Second Amendment to hide behind so they can attempt to justify the incalculable high price that Americans have to pay in lives lost, so America remains free to arm itself.

Our government allows easy access to firearms, yet it wipes its hands of any responsibility for the enacting of sensible gun regulation. Ultimately, an armed guard at your child’s school would be just another potential target for someone’s AR-15-style assault rifle, and we all know how that would work out.

 — Bob Bascelli, Seaford

Across this nation, members of Congress and state legislators are proposing and enacting bans on books, pronouns, drag shows and rainbows. They warn us of these dangers to our children despite no child being fatally wounded by any of them. It’s appalling that the No. 1 cause of death in children and teenagers is now gun violence.

Yet these same lawmakers respond to mass shootings with “thoughts and prayers” followed by shameful defenses of “Second Amendment” rights. We are told that mass shootings are the price we must pay for the sacrosanct right to bear arms and that nothing can possibly solve this crisis. That is wrong. Most Americans want to see an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and red flag laws.

The refusal of a segment of our elected leaders to take real actions to protect our children — and all of us — is disgraceful. If protecting our children is indeed so important, isn’t it past time to replace thoughts and prayers with courage and action?

— Maryellen Viola, Massapequa Park

For too long, our country has suffered the plague of gun violence. The deaths of innocent bystanders and children in our schools have reached a crescendo. In every country I’ve visited, there is no such thing as 50 different states with 50 different gun laws. This is sheer lunacy. Here’s a proposal that would put us on par with every other civilized nation:

We have a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We need a separate Federal Bureau of Firearms with strict guidelines.

This agency would compel all state-registered gun dealers and gun-permit holders to become federally registered with uniform gun laws for every state. Background checks would go through this bureau with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It would limit the sale and possession of military grade weapons to the military.

Only registered gun owners could purchase ammunition; sales get recorded and sent to the FBI. If a gun owner wishes to sell the weapon, it must be sold to a registered gun dealer at the “Blue Book” value. To sell the gun privately would be a federal crime. Outlaw the manufacture, sale and distribution of ghost gun parts.

We need a change — now.

 — Michael Harris, Deer Park

More gun laws are not the solution. Part of the solution is enforcement of existing laws. Ask anyone in law enforcement. Search the internet and you’ll find sources listing the number of gun laws up to 20,000. There are enough laws on the books. You can write all the guns laws you want, but if they are not enforced, they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Semiautomatic firearms have been around for about 120 years. Why is it now a problem? The AK-47 was developed in 1947. I grew up shooting military surplus firearms and viewed them as a tool for hunting or target shooting.

I think we need to place more emphasis on why we have a generation or two of young adults who commit mass shootings. Is it violent movies, video games or social media, which did not exist in the past? Maybe these stimuli are affecting mental health.

— Kevin McGrath, Northport

In America, there have been more mass shootings than days so far this year. The favored weapon seems to be an assault rifle. It’s time that the ban on the sale of these weapons was reinstated.

The excuse given by many is that these shootings are a mental health issue. Even if it is, there is no reason for these rifles to be made available to the public. Only in America does this insanity exist. Other countries do not deal with these daily tragedies because they have tighter gun laws, and in several countries, guns are banned. It’s time that laws be put in place to at least remove these weapons of mass killing from the market.

 — Lyn Mendelsohn, Oceanside

I wrote an article titled “Boys, guns, and violence” in 2015 for a parents’ magazine. It disgusts me that no one seems to listen to several simple tools to deal with the problem, not to totally solve it. Acknowledge that boys can have a greater range of feelings so they won’t explode.

Teach emotional education in schools. Learning acceptance, self-nurturing and empathy can help a potential perpetrator role-reverse with a victim. It’s important to acknowledge the act of bravery in asking for help. Increase group work in schools. Social workers, such as myself, and psychologists can do this.

— Stewart J. Frimer, Forest Hills

During a tour of duty in Vietnam as an infantryman with the 1st Army, a new directive was implemented. Upon returning to our base camp after combat missions, all weapons had to be surrendered for locked storage. An infantryman in a war zone grows attached to his weapon and feels more secure with it.

At first, this new requirement was not well-received. It took only a short time to realize the benefits. No more gun accidents or young, inebriated soldiers venting their frustration. We slept better.

This same policy should be implemented across our country. All personally owned military-style weapons, large-capacity magazines and ammunition should be locked and secured at shooting ranges. No exceptions. Manufacturers of these weapons would be responsible to supply the ranges with the appropriate lockers necessary.

— Robert Warren, Lindenhurst

Most Americans want tougher gun laws. Because Congress can’t seem to agree on anything of substance, I favor the idea of a 1,000% federal tax (or more) on the sale of AR-15 rifles and similar guns. This alone would make the cost double or triple at more than $2,000 to $3,000 each. No debate, no wait, done.

— Gerard Byrne, Northport