Assembly Bill on Assault Guns

I am still constantly amazed at the length to which The Times will go to present its biased, one-sided reporting on the gun issue. In the April 20 edition, George Skelton gets to vilify the minimum 70 million gun owners in this country by lumping them with “lone nuts” who, quite honestly, seem no nuttier to me than Skelton himself. This is followed with an editorial that manages to imply that we gun owners should trust the legislative process to do the right thing, while at the same time exposing the legislative process as a foul, untrustworthy instrument subject to “snits” and “dithering” by villains who feel no shame at the slaughter of children.

That the villain who feels no shame today will be The Times’ hero tomorrow simply by changing his vote for reasons that have nothing to do with shame, slaughter, children or guns makes The Times one of the villains in my book.

Is it any wonder those of us who have faith in self-determination and self-protection can’t afford to have faith in the media or the Legislature?

CURTIS CRESSLER

Venice

* Assembly member Edward Vincent’s (D-Inglewood) about-face on the bill to strengthen California’s assault weapons ban is an outrage (April 17). One of Vincent’s own constituents, only 7 years old, was killed by an assault weapon four months ago, and his baby brother seriously wounded.

Ninety-two other residents of Vincent’s district--including a 2-year-old--died in gun violence last year. With a widely advertised gun show scheduled in his district and another Assembly vote possible on the assault weapons bill, he can send a powerful message to the youth he represents. We hope, for the sake of all Californians, that it’s a life-affirming aye.

ANN REISS LANE, Chair

SUSAN SHAW, Exec. Dir.

Women Against Gun Violence

Los Angeles