2nd Amendment rights are in danger

Today (Feb. 26) in an Associated Press news release on the U.S. crackdown of Mexican drug cartels Attorney General Eric Holder calls for reinstituting a ban of so called "assault weapons" to reduce bloodshed. Further, the article states that assailants hurled two hand grenades at the police.

Mr. Holder is and has always been an opponent of Second Amendment gun rights. His call for replaying the discredited Clinton era gun ban is disingenuous at best. U.S. gun dealers are clearly not responsible for drug cartels' use of hand grenades. These criminals get their weaponry the same way they get their drugs: through a world criminal market.

This campaign to deny us our gun rights is echoed by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Daley is the leader of a city that fails to protect its citizens and will not allow them to protect themselves. Furthermore, our courts have recently ruled that there is no generalized duty for police officers to protect victims of domestic violence.

The Second Amendment was enacted by our founders so the people could safeguard themselves and their liberty. Those who oppose gun rights endanger both. I urge all citizens to call upon our representatives to stop this trampling of our rights and enact legislation permitting us to obtain training and licensing to carry the tools that can protect us. Only two states have no provision for licensed carry - Illinois and Wisconsin. Forty states have "shall issue" laws. These states have experienced a lowering of their violent crime rates. The city of Miami recently had a month without a single homicide. It's time for Illinois to do the same.

Victor M. LaPorte

Elgin