Guns were invented to kill people. Isn't it time for us to move upward on the ladder of civilization and admit that we are better off without them? Hand guns have the advantage of being unnoticed in a crowd until the last minute. Rifles are so accurate that the victim doesn't have a chance. Assault weapons are the same as rifles with the added feature of being able to kill more people faster. The old ploy of gun lovers is that they need guns to protect themselves from other gun lovers. Gun clubs exist to allow them to hit their targets better. Not having guns in the house would save the lives of thousands of people, many being children.

Of course, facing reality, we know that guns wouldn't disappear over night, even if the right legislation were passed. But a ban on the sale and private ownership of hand guns would be a start in the right direction. I concur that rifles could be useful to the police in a situation where lives were at stake, as when a crazed killer is on the loose. But I can't think of any place guns have in the lives of teachers, students, music lovers, and the rest of the peace loving world. I abhor war as much as anyone, but I believe that when criminals use force, ignoring the laws of the land, to harm innocent people, then it leaves the authorities no recourse but to eliminate these killers any way we can, including using guns.

Two hundred years ago citizens used guns to kill animals for food and to protect themselves in a wild, lawless country where danger was a way of life. The somewhat unclear portions of the Constitution that gives people the right to bear arms is believed by many knowledgeable historians to refer to mercenaries and volunteer soldiers, not anybody. There are many problems connected with the removal of guns from the populace. One method used by many communities is an offer by the police department to buy outright any guns brought in without penalty to the 'owner'. This program has proved successful but only partially effective. (Allowing only one week of the year for this opportunity may have something to do with it.) I think that the price offered is much too little to attract those people with guns who are afraid to bring them in for fear of reprisal. Laws could be passed to restrict the sale of rifles to duly appointed authority and a ban placed on the sale of hand guns to the general populace. Just my opinion.