'Strongly disagrees' with gun control editorial

To the Editor:

The Aurora shooting is a horrifically tragic event, like all the ones prior to it and all that have happened since.

But why is it that the first thought and acceptable excuse that comes to mind is that it was the firearms' fault?

The individual in Aurora also booby-trapped his apartment with items from a hardware store that would have possibly killed hundreds more and caused an unknown amount of property damage.

Should we outlaw hardware stores?

This individual chose to use a combination of weapons. Therefore, he would have used either if the other was not available. Pipe bombs or Molotov cocktails with shrapnel and fireworks thrown as grenades would probably have caused more deaths, injuries and property damage and the required material is in your local hardware store.

Gun control serves two purposes.

It aids those who would like to disarm America but it is also an easy way to divert blame from the individual to the weapon.

I think the real issue is -- what is wrong with our "civilized nation" that we nurture individuals who can act out such hideous violent crimes against innocent unknown people with no remorse?

Is it the way or what we teach in our schools or the parenting or the lack of parenting?

Is it Hollywood or the violent game writers who have desensitized the act of murder?

Is it our moving away from Christianity?

Until somebody can figure out what is driving our youths to these acts of violence, they will continue, no matter the choice of weapon.

In answer to Ms. Brumberg, who "supports ban on automatic weapons," you mention suing the NRA; the NRA does not condone the illegal use of firearms.

It does, however, support the Second Amendment as well as the legal use of firearms for hunting, sport shooting, collection, safe training of the use of firearms and personal safety training, as well as many other legal uses of firearms.

You also mention suing the manufacturers; does this mean the Oklahoma victims or the first victims of the Trade Center attack should be able to sue the fertilizer companies or the manufacturers of propane tanks and gas as well as the automobile manufacturers of the vehicles that were used in those bombings?

As soon as you shift the responsibility from the criminals they are no longer responsible or are somehow less responsible for their actions.

This could be part of the issue mentioned above as our "civilized nation" can't seem to be able to take or give responsibility for their individual actions, it's somebody else's fault.

As far as guns in New York City, they are not legal. Mayor Bloomberg has the strictest gun laws in the country but they only apply to law-abiding citizens and it appears they are not working.

Criminals don't care. By definition criminals do not follow the law.

Charles Smalley

Warren