Tougher Gun Laws

This letter is in response to your Dec. 9 editorial “Gun Watch, Facts Don’t Kill People.” You bring up the tired phrase “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” An absurd phrase? Yes. Is there some truth to it? Yes.

You cite Washington, D.C., as an example of having an enlightened philosophy by banning the private possession and ownership of handguns by civilians. That social experiment worked real well, didn’t it? Washington has the highest murder rate in the country followed by New York City, the only other large city to ban handgun possession. Outlawing the private possession of handguns in those cities has not worked, nor will it work here.

California already has the most stringent gun control laws in the country. We have a 15-day waiting period and background check for all guns, not just handguns.

The only real answer to violent crime is to make sure that the perpetrators clearly understand that they will be held accountable for their actions. No weak excuses, no slick lawyers, no expensive trials. Maybe if you aimed your editorials at the source of the problem rather than the tools that they use, we would see some improvement in this community.

DOUG COPLEY

Los Angeles