Theisen: Why the gun control lobby’s solutions won’t work

Reading the response by Mr. George “Jody” Sweeney reveals that he, like many others, are so biased against the National Rifle Association, which, by the way, happens to be a million or more American citizens who care about their and their future generations’ personal freedoms guaranteed under the Second Amendment to our Constitution (“What exactly are the solutions regarding gun control?” Dec. 4).

His proposals are the same as those spewed by the gun control lobby — more checks and making it easier to take your guns if someone says you’re a danger without a judge signing off on it and without a hearing. Or registration of your firearms, which would make it super easy for a tyrant government to confiscate one’s firearm, and since the reason the Second Amendment was put in place was to protect the people from a tyrant government, this is a big no.

How about we get down to the real problem in this country, which everyone seems to avoid as if it is the plague — mental health? For many years, this country took care of its citizens who were mentally ill, and I agree that they failed at it miserably, but we did keep many people who were prone to violence off our streets. Those days, the states shut their doors to these people and kicked them out into the streets with no prepared civilian resources to care for them. I believe our health system never caught up to what they were handed.

Now, we worry that we might infringe on their personal rights, even though they know these people may be a danger to themselves or others. How many times have we read over and over that the families of these shooters tried to get help but were basically ignored because no one knew what to do about it? And I say, “Why not?”

As for the mass amount of shootings in this country, I tell you to look at our inner cities and the drug trade. So many of these felons are not allowed to own guns, but their friends and families buy them for them. Straw purchases need to be cracked down on severely, and the shooters, when caught, should be given mandatory sentences.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion.

Jon Theisen

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.