NRA has no place in White House

Americans, agonizing over school shootings, lockdowns and handgun violence in our cities, keep asking: "Why can't we pass common sense firearm legislation?"

Don't ask Alaska Gov. Sarah Palm that question.

Here are a few examples of what passes for "common sense" in Alaska: no license or permit (F.O.I.D. card) required to buy a gun; guns need not be registered; no license or permit required to either conceal or openly carry a handgun; employers or businesses must allow guns on their privately held premises; gun owners cannot be held responsible for leaving loaded guns around kids, even if one is shot; no restriction on the sale or possession

weapons; and no state law limiting the sale or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines that can fire reloading.

The question voters have to ask Gov. Palin is whether she believes these firearm policies should be adopted by the "lower forty-eight states" as she calls us. Does she believe that the leadership of the National Rifle Association was doing the right thing in filing suit in courts in Chicago, Philadelphia and the Illinois communities of Morton Grove and Wilmette to overturn local handgun laws?

As a hunter, she has every right to be a member of the National Rifle Association. As an elected official, she has no right to lobby for the "gun nut" policies of the present NRA leadership.

If we want commwon sense firearm legislation, we cannot afford to have another administration in Washington that allows the NRA leadership to "own the White House."

Gus Gustafson

Huntley