Out of civilian hands

My dad taught me to shoot his “sporterized” Enfield .30-06 when I was young. It was an amazing rifle – laser-like in hitting the target. I was knocked flat to the ground by his single-barrel 10-gauge shotgun and gained a painful respect for that gun. I’ve fired a variety of weapons and got quite accurate with the M-16 while in Air Force boot camp.

I’m old and want to be able to protect myself, but I’ve reached my gag-level. “Thoughts and prayers” are just not enough.

If a young person takes a gun - any gun - owned by an adult and hurts others, then they both should be arrested for the same crime and tried in the same court. If we can’t control access to weapons capable of quickly and horrifically killing and maiming and keep them away from those who should never have them, then it’s time to stop making and selling them. And if it comes to it and there’s no other answer, then any style weapon that has been used in that sort of inhuman and unconscionable act should be removed from civilian hands, altogether.

Doug Kaer

Spokane