Letter: If we give up our guns, we could be like Cuba

This is in response to the letter printed in the Dec. 16 paper, which was in response to a letter printed Dec. 12, regarding "owing a gun is a right."

To the gentleman who is concerned about the "right that his family, school and kids' have a right not to be shot," I would point out what has happened to countries that have taken away the right to own a gun.

Look at Venezuela, Cuba, Guatemala and other countries that have given up on protecting themselves.

If all gun owners in the U.S. turned in their weapons, you wouldn't see similar atrocities?

And with the crime rate in the U.S. increasing exponentially in major cities and slowly moving into the suburbs, it is only going to get worse. Do you really think gang bangers and criminals are going to turn in their AR's, AK's and high-capacity magazines?

The major problem is the lack of enforcing laws already in place. No disrespect to Highland Park police, but the shooter should never have had a weapon of any kind. Sad to say, mentally ill and sick individuals will continue to kill, if not with guns, with automobiles, knives and other weapons.

There are many statistics regarding how many people have been saved by someone having a gun, yet the news media for some reason do not publish those articles.

Harold Mierisch

Huntley