The 2nd Amendment Must Be Preserved

* Paul Carro does not understand the reason the 2nd Amendment was written (Letters, May 18).

It is not about muskets or automatic weapons, drive-by shootings or political lobbies. Rather it was written to assure the citizens of the newly formed United States they would never again be subjected to the tyranny of a government.

The 2nd Amendment was a guarantee that the people would have a means to defend themselves should the government become corrupt and out of control.

The militia referred to in the amendment is the body of citizens of the United States, not some branch of the military.

It would be a sad day if the 2nd Amendment were to be abolished. For soon to be abolished will be all of the other freedoms that we hold so dear.

There will be no freedom of speech, no freedom of the press or religion, no freedom from search and seizure. A government that does not fear its people will have ultimate control over them.

Simply review the situation in China to see what the future of America could be without the most valuable 2nd Amendment.

JOHN ALESI

Mission Viejo

* If the Clinton administration and the Million Mom Marchers want to pass “sensible” gun-control laws such as licensing, registration and trigger locks before I can exercise my 2nd Amendment rights, why don’t we also require licensing, registration and personal computer keyboard locks before newspaper editors can exercise their 1st Amendment rights?

While newspapers may disagree with my right to own and possess firearms, I don’t always agree with newspapers’ editorials and stories.

Editors could decide who gets licenses to own firearms and gun owners could decide who gets licenses to print editorials and which ones could be published.

Seems only fair.

BURL ESTES

Mission Viejo