Letter: Weapons of war should be outlawed

After any mass shooting, all I think about is "What kind of country do we live in where this keeps happening?" This is gun insanity. Politicians need to outlaw, at very least, high-powered semi-automatic weapons.

After this shooting in my own generally quiet suburb of Highland Park, I feel much more acutely that any public gathering is just a bunch of sitting ducks to a mentally ill shooter with such a weapon. In the case of the shooter in Highland Park, he legally purchased the high-powered semi-automatic weapon he used in the shooting.

Mass shootings at schools, movie theaters, concerts, grocery stores, parades, nightclubs and other benign or festive places - it needs to stop.

Outlawing these weapons is the only way to address the problem in a forthright way. All the deflections about treating mental illness are infuriating. Yes, let's treat mental illness, but access to weapons of war is the deciding factor that leads to the loss of life, injury and trauma. We must elect leaders who will guard our safety and outlaw semi-automatic assault weapons now.

And honestly if someone thinks they need a high-powered semi-automatic weapon for any reason, that is a clear indicator they need a mental health evaluation.

David Arfa

Highland Park