Shooting Deaths in Hospital

Re “Gunman Kills 3 in Anaheim Hospital,” Sept. 15: The latest shooting incident, at West Anaheim Medical Center, underscores the need for moving forward with legislation to limit access to firearms. Buyback programs, laws prohibiting the manufacture and sale of automatic weapons, collection and destruction of assault rifles and Saturday night special handguns are necessary steps, but are not sufficient to end the slaughter of the innocent in our society.

There are currently 192 million privately owned handguns in the United States, and there are 2 million military-style assault weapons in circulation. It is extremely unlikely that the Anaheim shooter, Dung Trinh, would have killed the three health care workers if he had not had immediate access to a gun in his home.

Our legislators, and our society, must stand up to the NRA and those who advocate an incorrect interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Instead of recognizing the right of the people to have a well-regulated militia, we have allowed individuals to amass their own personal, lethal arsenals.

Our society can no longer bear the cost of preserving the distorted interpretation of the “right to bear arms.” Our children are not safe at school. We are not safe at work, in our neighborhoods, in our homes. Eliminating guns from our society is a necessary step that will not solve all of our problems but at least will make our world a safer place.

ERIC ALCOULOUMRE MD

President, Society of Orange

County Emergency Physicians

Newport Beach

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All the proponents of President Clinton’s gun buyback program by police departments are shouting, “It will take the guns off the streets.” The only guns on the streets are in the hands of felons and criminals. Do you think that they will voluntarily surrender their weapons to the police even if they get paid for them? Don’t be ridiculous!

PAUL H. KEIL

San Pedro