Interpreting 2nd Amendment: Restricting Gun Ownership

None of the NRA members who complained about The Times’ courageous “22 Cowardly Acts” editorial (Sept. 17) gave any valid reason for objecting to a 15-day waiting period for the delivery of any firearm. Don’t they plan their hunting trips far enough in advance to order the newest weapon in time?

They make a big point about “criminals” getting them regardless--but the San Ysidro and the Stockton (schoolyard) mass murders, with a total of 26 people dead and 30 wounded, were committed by psychopaths. We law-abiding gun-fearing citizens want guns kept out of the hands of mentally-deranged random killers who can walk into a gun shop and buy one right now.

If the law-abiding NRA members want to form a militia and have a right to bear arms, fine, but remember that when the Second Amendment was written, there was no viable army, there was no National Guard, there weren’t any state, county and city police departments. It’s the “well-regulated militia” that they conveniently forget about when quoting their favorite part of the Second Amendment.

Ninety-one percent of Americans favor a waiting period for gun purchases (Times, Dec. 21, 1988). Politicians take notice that there are more of us than of the high-pressure gun lobby and its deep-pocket NRA supporters.

HERB HERR

Altadena