Barlow’s gun rhetoric does a disservice

This email is intended for Marcus Barlow and is in response to his recent column on gun control [The real motive of the gun-control intelligentsia, Dec. 14 Forefront].

I, too, think most people are good. I, too, think the left is “smart enough” and also that the right is “smart enough.” But that is about the extent of where we agree. I have the following specific comments to offer:

1. Your comment that gun laws won’t stop criminals from getting guns is I suppose true literally in the sense that it would not prevent all criminals from getting guns. But I think you are smart enough to know that it will reduce the number of guns in the hands of criminals or those planning criminal actions in the near term. We all know that many acts of violence are spur of the moment. If an individual does not own a gun and finds themselves wanting to acquire one to commit a near immediate act of violence, by the time they could acquire a gun, the spur of the moment emotions would often have passed.

I have yet to hear any reasonable explanation as to why all of Europe, Japan, Canada, etc., that have made it far more difficult to get a gun don’t have the murder rates, or guns in the hands of criminal rates that we have. Is it something endemic to the character of Americans? If you believe it is that rather than the absence of reasonable gun access restrictions then why not say so and suggest solutions for remaking the “American character”?

2. Your comment that liberals’ primary goal is to keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens is what would be described as “trolling” on the Internet. I have to believe you know better. I know many liberals and not a one has that as a primary goal. An honest question: What do you hope to accomplish with such a patently false suggestion? What you have prompted in me is a commitment to donate more money to gun control organizations and to volunteer my time and talents to that worthy cause.

Marcus, I have to call it as it is. You are part of the problem. We don’t have to outlaw all guns to improve the situation. There is a reasonable middle ground. Try working toward that and be part of the solution.

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Keith and Linda Lauter
Indianapolis