I'd like to
respond to Ms. Whelan's letter and point out some differences between cars,
phones and guns. You won't find a congressperson urging teens to text and
drive. Nor will you find one urging people to drive drunk, not wear seat belts,
exceed the speed limit, etc. The Kellerman study in 1996 stated, "A gun in
the home is far more likely to be involved in the death of a member of the
household than to be used in self-defense ... people should be strongly
discouraged from keeping guns in their homes." That kind of talk doesn't
sell guns. The only kind of discouraging the Congressional arm of the gun industry
did was of gun studies. In 1996, they cut off funding the CDC with the Dickey
Amendment.
Your statistics
are a bit off. Annual deaths from guns and autos are both in the range of
30,000 to 33,000. A big difference is that those from autos are declining.
Another is that there is $240 million a year spent on traffic safety and next
to nothing on deaths from firearms. Would more guns result in fewer deaths?
Let's study it and find out. The NRA seems to feel everyone should be armed.
Over 60% of fatalities are from suicide or accident. To me, that suggests more
is not better. If not, let's cut out the gun industry propaganda and educate
people. And educate Congress. Sensible legislation is not enacted out of
ignorance and fear of reprisal from Wayne LaPierre.
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