Poll Favors Handgun Ban

* Your gun poll editorial (“Guns Lose in Latest Poll,” June 7) was interesting. The “majority” of people polled must have an idealistic view of gun and crime issues. Banning an inanimate object that will always be in demand will not make it disappear, much less keep it out of criminal hands. Look at our drug problem as an example. We continue to ignore facts and logic and blame guns for crime and accidents. What happened to human accountability? Coddled, repeat-offending, violent criminals and human negligence are really at fault.

If gun abuse is a “health issue,” address it with education, not emotional propaganda and bans. Gun bans effectively disarm only the law-abiding populace, making them easy prey for armed criminals who could not care less about any laws. Defenseless law-abiding citizens being robbed, murdered, raped, carjacked, etc., are the final result. With law enforcement facing inevitable budget cuts and the public being brainwashed into being victims, we’ll have some interesting times ahead.

SCOTT N. KANE

Redondo Beach

* Several months ago somebody broke into my cabin and stole some guns.

One of the guns was recently recovered by the city police. I can’t help feeling embarrassed that I, in some way, helped a criminal arm himself. I used to brag that in 30 years, none of my guns ever violated anyone else’s rights. Now I don’t know.

I asked the detective if I could see this young man. Maybe I would recognize him. Whoever took the guns knew the area very well. I probably know the thief. Maybe I could get back the other guns.

Well, that’s silly. He’s not in jail. Why wasn’t he charged? He said he found the gun. It would be difficult to prove he knew the gun was stolen, impossible to prove he stole it.

These punks are making fools of us! Why do we take it? Why do we free the people who commit crimes using stolen, potentially lethal weapons? It is imperative that if a man violates another man’s rights using a potentially lethal weapon and may be a future threat to society, that man should be removed from society. Criminals use stolen weapons. When the punishment for the crime of possessing a stolen weapon is severe enough, we will see a reduction in the violent crimes in this country.

Maybe then, people will leave my guns alone.

J. D. SILVESTER

Sylmar