Equating weapon bans to drinking and driving

I read letters from your subscribers about the banning of some rifles due to the number of deaths caused by these weapons. I, as a hunter for many years, have never used nor had the need to use an assault rifle to hunt deer or bear.

However, read some statistical data before advocating the banning of any firearm. The cold hard truth is, rifles or “long guns” were responsible for 576 homicides in 2010, while handguns were well out in front with 899. Banning any rifle would be totally insignificant.

Let’s look at the real culprits killing our citizens, adults and children alike – 32,367 of our beloved folks were slaughtered on our nations highways in 2011. In the last 10 years, drunken drivers have killed 112,479 of our people.

What should we do about these needless deaths? Ban the automobile? Declare national prohibition and stop the sale of any alcohol? These measures would end the slaughter on our highways.

Radical thinking? Yes, but it makes as much sense as banning a firearm that pales in insignificance, comparatively speaking.