‘Infantile Fantasies’

As a longtime NRA member and a former police officer, I feel I must write in response to the article by Glidden.

In the article, Glidden states that no one should be allowed to own handguns since, according to Glidden, none of us can trust ourselves to use them properly and that, even if we could, they are more likely to do harm than good.

Glidden’s statements are not borne out by extensive studies that have been done on firearms ownership in the U.S. Research shows that 99% of all handguns are used safely and lawfully. Each year over 350,000 law-abiding Americans use handguns in self-defense.

Glidden admits that a gun ban will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Yet he would deny law-abiding citizens their constitutional right to own firearms. I don’t say that gun ownership is for everyone, but I do resent ivory tower “experts” who have never faced a deadly threat who tell us that we should not have the option of owning a handgun for self-protection. I feel that those who wish to ban the ownership of guns by law-abiding Americans in a world where violent crimes against people are out of control are being extremely presumptuous with their self-righteous morality.

If Glidden is really concerned about violence in America, he should concentrate his efforts on enacting laws to keep violent criminals off the streets and building prisons to house them.

EUGENE NIELSEN

Thousand Oaks