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Readers React: What gun-control supporters don’t mention: The U.S. rate of gun violence has dropped sharply

A salesman at a Virginia gun store demonstrates an AR-15 rifle fitted with a bump stock.
A salesman at a Virginia gun store demonstrates an AR-15 rifle fitted with a bump stock.
(Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)
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To the editor: I am a retired Los Angeles police officer, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn. and the owner of several modern sporting rifles, sometimes called “assault rifles.” I have a hard time understanding what “gun violence crisis” or “epidemic” we are supposedly experiencing in this country. (“The biggest outrage about America’s gun violence is Congress’ failure to do anything about it,” editorial, March 13)

The rate of gun violence is almost half of what it was in 1993. This has occurred during a time in which millions of law-abiding citizens have purchased guns — many of them “assault rifles” — and concealed carry limits have been relaxed all over the country.

Even if you fulfilled every gun grabber’s fantasy and went house to house confiscating every assault rifle in America, mass shootings would still occur. The terrorist at Ft. Hood, Texas, killed 13 Americans with a pistol and a revolver. In the largest recent mass murder a gun wasn’t even used. A terrorist in France killed 86 people using a truck.

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In fact, the citizen who shot the Texas church shooter was himself armed with an AR-15. Gun control is not the answer.

Chris Duke, Simi Valley

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