I am not a gun owner and I have never had an interest in owning a gun. However, I do respect the right of others to own guns. My issue has to do with the ongoing call for more gun control regulations.

I see no value in focusing on gun control where these situations are concerned. Rarely have I read any articles about the horrendous killings where the person involved had appropriate licensing to own a gun. Obviously in a recent situation the person did have the licensing and having read the reports of that incident it seems clear to me that had action and communication taken place about that person that tragedy might have been avoided.

In most cases the people who have committed these atrocities have not had proper licensing and have not been concerned at all about living within the gun control laws. It seems to me that gun control laws simply address those people who follow the rules for appropriately owning guns. The people who live outside of the law will obtain guns no matter how many gun control laws are written.

I believe that the real reason for mass killings is due to the fact that we live in a violent society and part of that problem is the constant marketing of violent games. movies, TV shows, etc.

Another aspect of the source of violence is the hopelessness of too many people in our society, which in many cases results in gang memberships and gun violence. Let’s not waste time and energy writing more regulations when the people who commit these heinous acts are not the ones abiding by those laws. Responsible gun owners should not be viewed as part of the problem and that’s all that more gun laws will do.

Allen G. Zippin
Longmeadow