We should give up right to bear arms

I would like to address Mr. Waddington's letter entitled: "People, not guns, are the problem," March 4. His argument that "will never hold water" regarding taking away cars and baseball bats omits the point that the purpose of guns is to injure and kill. Really, if the purpose of other things were to injure and kill, regardless of other advantages these things give to the human race, I would want to ban them, too.

We need to weigh the advantages of the right to bear arms with the damages gun possession causes to society. I personally do not see any benefit; I do not hunt, and I am certain that a gun in my home would only create a danger to myself or to my family. If I did own a gun, it would be unloaded and locked away somewhere -- certainly not in a ready-to-aim mode (where I'm guessing that most guns are kept) in the event that someone broke into my home to shoot, rob or injure me. I don't know many hunters, but I hope that hunters would sacrifice a little bit and pick up their guns from a policed facility at the time they arrange for their hunting expedition along with the other equipment they need.

It is my feeling that we should give up this right to bear arms in order to benefit society as a whole. We have no problem creating other laws that do away with our rights in order to prevent people from injuring themselves and others. However, the gun lobbyists as well as the people trying to conserve this right for the sake of conservatism have prevented this law from becoming a reality.

I know many people who believe that a gun ban would be a surrender to the left, who not only do not own a gun, but would never buy one, shoot one, or allow their children to do so. In fact, I see that the only reason these people refuse to give up their right, is because they have had that right to begin with.

I appreciate that Americans did not want to be disarmed when the Redcoats were in town. But, seriously, shouldn't we adults do the right thing for the greater good today and give up our right to arm ourselves, regardless of our political beliefs?

The only purpose of guns is to injure and kill. Until a ban on guns becomes a reality, all places of large gatherings should have detectors to protect us from "deranged people or psychos" and from the people that continue to insist on this evil being a part of our world today.

In the meantime, I will continue to pray for peace on our streets, in our homes, in our schools, in our churches, in our stores and in our hearts.

Catherine M. Wifler

Hawthorn Woods