Background Check for Gun Owners
Your editorial (“Weeding Out the Bad Guys,” Jan. 19) implied that the California background check kept firearms out of the hands of 5,859 criminals. I cannot really believe The Times is that naive. Too bad there was not a way to follow up on these people and see how many acquired weapons illegally. The background check and waiting period are nothing more than an inconvenience to law-abiding citizens and a useless deterrent to criminals.
Your editorial stated that 34 of the 5,859 people who tried to buy firearms were convicted of homicide. What are convicted killers doing out on the street? Maybe if there were about 20,000 executions in this country for murder and other criminals were given long sentences, they wouldn’t be out on the street trying to buy guns. But no, your solution is to take away my rights and pity the poor criminal who had a disadvantaged childhood.
R.R. HOOPES
Ridgecrest
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