We’ve always had guns

Facts are fruitless in an emotionally charged atmosphere. 99.9% of all legally owned guns are never used in a crime or a mass shooting.

Proposed gun control measures would not have stopped a single one of these tragedies. Attacking the NRA is just as asinine! The NRA does not represent the gun industry. They represent 6 million paying members (like a union) and 100 million American voting gun owners.

The media pounding the drum for more gun control and demonizing the NRA is just driving their own agenda; trying to shape public opinion with propaganda and emotional rhetoric.

This is a societal problem not a gun problem. Sherriff Knezovich stated that when he was in high school almost every truck had a gun in it. I brought a gun to school as a prop for a speech in 9th grade; I was not in a western state like Texas or Montana, but Western Pennsylvania. I carried it in the school halls the same day JFK was shot. No one felt threatened or feared some atrocity was about to happen. Everyone had access to guns and ammunition at a young age (I could buy ammunition at the local hardware store).

The availability of guns has always been there and has absolutely no bearing on the commission of these terrible acts. It is a change in cultural attitudes, lack of discipline, respect for life, drug use, and an “us against them” attitude. I wish I knew the root of this change!

The answers will lie with this generation to find what has happened and to change the culture: not by chasing some rainbow dream that by denying citizens their constitutional right they’re going to make this disease go away. It will be a sad commentary if their efforts only further divide this country and do nothing to curb this epidemic.

Joe Domon

Reardan, Wash.