On Friday, 20 children and six adults were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. One day later, acquaintances defended Americans' right to continue carrying handguns.
What on Earth will it take for Americans to finally and forever ban the possession and sale of handguns, automatic weapons and extended clips?
Those in Newtown must feel like someone has stolen the very essence of their being. There is no reason or logic for the killings. I have two grandchildren, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old, in Virginia. These shootings could just as well have happened there, or Kansas or California.
As horrible as it is to say, I am so grateful the random toss of the dice didn't land on my grandchildren. But what I fear most is that one day it could.
Handguns, automatic weapons and extended clips serve only one purpose: shooting people. Rifles and shotguns are used for hunting. Some say having a handgun will help keep them safe if someone threatens them. A shotgun is a much more useful weapon.
Others say that there would be less crime if everyone carried a side arm.
Americans own more weapons than people in most other countries do, yet violent crime isn't down.
Handguns, automatic weapons and extended clips do not prevent violent crime; they cause it.
The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms, but it does not guarantee the right to any and every type of arm ever invented. We cannot ignore that this amendment was written not long after our country was at war with a tyrannical nation. Our Constitution does not guarantee the right to carry handguns and automatic weapons.
Now is the time to band together and force a strong, determined and sustained effort to outlaw handguns, automatic weapons and extended clips.
Terry Amrhein
Burnt Hills