Letter: Stick to the real issue

Regarding the front page article January 19 "Federal suit filed against Illinois gun ban," for starters this is typical misleading journalism. Illinois did not ban guns, it passed a law banning assault-style weapons and associated items. And then Thomas DeVore's comment that "Gov. Pritzker and the legislators who voted for this law did this for self-serving political purposes ...". Are you kidding? Are you unaware of the events in Highland Park this July?

It's time to restate the issues in regard to banning assault weapons. This is not about "taking away people's guns," I'm all for a proper interpretation of the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. It's about drawing a line where it makes sense.

The line has always been there: You can't have missile launchers and rocket-propelled grenades, etc., as a private citizen. Banning assault-style rifles is just about moving the line to a more sensible place.

All the talk about better controls or psychological intervention to prevent nut cases from murdering countless numbers of innocent people with assault weapons will never work - we live in a country of innocent until proven guilty - which means the crazies get to shoot first. The only way to stop them is for the assault weapons to not be available in the first place.

Reinhard Metz

Wheaton