Local Officials Move Against Guns

Re “Officials Raise Battle Cry Against Gun Proliferation,” Aug. 18: California should have outlawed possession of assault weapons long ago. The North Hollywood bank robbers would have been happy to deliver theirs personally to L.A. Police Chief Bernard Parks and Sheriff Lee Baca. Buford O. Furrow Jr. would have thought twice about crossing the Washington border with assault weapons in his van.

Existing laws against murder, hate crimes and possession of firearms by convicted felons do not deter anyone from committing violent crimes.

ED ELSNER

Pasadena

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How does punishing honest citizens take a bite out of crime? If Baca, Parks and L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky were serious about reducing gun violence, they’d be looking at a solution that has been proven to work: “Project Exile.” This program prosecutes all gun crimes under federal law, punishes with a minimum sentence of five years, and the time is served in federal prisons. Cities using the program have seen gun crime drop dramatically (as much as 60% in Richmond, Va.).

STEPHEN BONDS

Van Nuys

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Regarding your Aug. 17 editorial on Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s proposed ban on gun shows at the county fairgrounds in Pomona: The Great Western Show is a collectible show of Western Americana, military memorabilia, antique firearms, cowboy and Indian artifacts, etc. Less than 10% of the 5,300 tables have modern firearms for sale. Yaroslavsky’s political grandstanding is crystal-clear: take advantage of these recent tragedies to advance his own agenda at the expense of others who have committed no crime and who are conducting a legal business that furnishes entertainment to 100,000 people a year.

The Great Western Show invites all interested citizens to see for themselves what is taking place at Fairplex. Should Yaroslavsky be successful in removing a viable business from another supervisor’s district, thousands of exhibitors and dozens of Great Western and Fairplex personnel will be severely injured economically, not to mention local suppliers of goods and services.

Yaroslavsky should be addressing the problem presented by these unfortunate occurrences--namely, demented and criminal people who should be severely punished for conducting illegal activities.

KARL AMELANG, President

Great Western Shows

Irvine

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I see that Fairplex President James E. Henwood has demanded from L.A. County immediate action (read money) if their gun shows are banned, since the “economic consequences of that decision . . . must be addressed” (Aug. 16). Perhaps in the meantime he would like to address the economic issues (and all the other issues) of the sale of weapons at their gun shows that are used to gun down people.

DOUG NEVILLE

Chatsworth