Resale of Seized Guns by Cities

In your Dec. 19 edition there was an article concerning the auctioning of confiscated firearms by cash-strapped police departments. The article expressed the state of anguish suffered by the hand-wringers among us who have embraced the misconceived notion that guns, in and of themselves, cause crime.

The relationship between guns and crime is incidental, not causal. Guns no more cause crime than flies cause garbage.

The assumption that confiscated guns sold at auction to licensed retail dealers will automatically end up in the hands of criminals is utterly false.

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 99.9% of all legally owned firearms are never used in the commission of crime.

Concerned citizens and elected officials who sincerely want to put an end to the horrific murder epidemic in this nation would be better served if the problem were confronted directly in dealing with the failures of our catch-and-release criminal justice system.

RON YORKE

Reseda