Self-Protection and Gun Control

Re “Sensible Gun Limits--Now,” editorial, Aug. 29: I agree with much of what you say. But your credibility would be greatly strengthened if you recognized that many law-abiding citizens arm themselves out of fear of the likes of militia nuts and the many rapists and robbers who live among us.

Along with The Times’ support of hunters and target shooters, recognize that many of us arm ourselves as our “ace in the hole” for that home invader or evil gang member bent on senseless murder.

Let’s do most of what you propose, including registration of firearms and the all-important effective training and licensing of those who choose to arm themselves. And, let’s have uniformity among the states by permitting all qualified law-abiding citizens who so elect to carry lawful guns on their persons and in their cars.

Anything less is nothing more than a thinly disguised attempt to disarm the law-abiding citizenry while militia nuts and gangbangers gain even more unlawful power.

WALLY ROBERTS

San Clemente

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I am getting tired of reading and hearing about the need to take guns away from everyone. Let’s use some common sense. Yes, there have been a lot of publicized shootings lately, but it is not the fault of the gun. It is the fault of the person using it.

Now, I’m not too thrilled about citizens owning military-type weaponry either, but to take away every gun will leave the law-abiding citizens unprotected from the criminals who wish to prey on them. The criminals will always have guns. And if all the guns were taken away even from the criminals, the criminals would just find a new weapon of choice, like knives. What would we do then, take all the knives away?

GEORGE STAN

Granada Hills

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Re “State Lags in Federal Gun Cases, Study Shows,” Aug. 29: The quote of Franklin Zimring is quite typical of the political nature of crime in America. His saying that prosecuting street-level felons is “garbage prosecution,” when they have been caught breaking the law by using a gun, is mind-boggling.

It is bad enough when illegal firearms possession is the first thing out the window in plea-bargaining. The laws on the books are just not being enforced. A little bird whispered in my ear, “Maybe the justice system cannot handle all our bad guys--not enough court time, not enough prisons and nobody wants to pay for them.” No, it can’t be; it’s just the presence of all those guns--if they all disappear, everything will be all right.

GERALD WILSON

Covina