To the editor:
Unfortunately, many need help with some facts.
They ignore facts that do not fit their own trumped-up version of reality. For instance ...
Every day, 550 rapes, 1,100 murders, and 5,200 other violent crimes are prevented just by showing a gun. Taking this into account, gun owners prevent an estimated 2.5 million major crimes a year or approximately 6,850 every day.
Some 90 percent of all violent crimes in the U.S. do not involve firearms of any type.
Russia, Brazil and Mexico all have much stronger gun control laws than the United States. All three countries have higher murder rates than the U.S.
On the other hand, gun ownership in Switzerland is three times greater than in Germany. Guess what, the Swiss have a lower murder rate than Germany.
In the U.S., Washington, D.C., and Chicago probably have the strictest gun control laws of the larger cities and, no surprise, the highest murder rates. It cannot be said that those draconian laws are the only reason for this situation. However, those same laws have been hindering law abiding citizens from protecting themselves and their loved ones.
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom all have more than or nearly double the amount of violent crimes per 100,000 people as the United States. What is the difference? These countries have much stricter gun control laws than the United States.
Every year, more people are murdered with hammers and clubs than rifles. Banning assault rifles makes as much sense as banning hammers.
After the draconian gun law restrictions were installed in England and Australia, the number of home invasions exploded. The criminals still find guns or even make them. However, the law-abiding citizen struggles to keep his family safe.
I am sure you could find more data supporting the above as well as some contradicting it. Nevertheless, if you are careful with your calculations and use reliable sources, you have to conclude responsible gun ownership has served our unique country well.
Our Constitution gives us the right to protect ourselves with the Second Amendment. It is a citizen’s right and should never, never, never be compromised.
JOHN T. KOLACKOVSKY
Rockport
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