Guns: Letter writers misfire on gun issue

Re: “We need more people packing heat“ and “Washington’s safer than strict states“ (letters, 1-11).

Reading these letters makes me queasy. One says more folks should carry firearms and start “putting down these mad dogs.”

I assume he means criminals or those who would carry out a mass school shooting. But who decides who the “mad dogs” are? His mad dog may be a nasty criminal; another person’s mad dog may be a neighbor whose German shepherd just crapped on his lawn.

It would be irresponsible to arm everyone and let each decide who is a bad guy worthy of being shot.

The other writer makes some astonishing statements. He says Vermont – with its less-restrictive gun laws – is much safer than its neighbors.

Here are the firearm death rates, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control in gun deaths per 100,000 people: Vermont, 9.2; Canada, 2.2; Massachusetts, 3.1; New York, 4.2.

The overriding and inescapable fact is that the United States is by far the world leader in terms of most firearms per person. There are almost nine guns for every 10 people in the country. And guns play a part in about 69 percent of all U.S. homicides – also the highest rate in the world (United Nations study).

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Guns: Letter writers misfire on gun issue."