Mailbag; Wireman: Some Myths About Guns

Capitol Times, Madison, WI Wireman: Don’t buy into myths about guns January 17, 2013 5:00 am Dear Editor: Here are some myths about guns: Having a gun in my home protects me. Possibly, in some cases. But the person most likely to be killed if there is a gun in the home is a family member. With a gun, it’s easy to protect myself. All I have to do is pull the trigger. When I said this to four police officers, they burst out laughing. “Then you jerk and hit a stranger.” They receive 20 hours of training on each new weapon yet you can receive a concealed weapon permit in Wisconsin without ever having fired a gun. Shooters don’t miss. Even police officers shoot bystanders. Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. But pulling a trigger is easier and more deadly than fists or a knife. Over 80 percent of all murders and suicides of those under aged 35 are committed with a gun. Nothing we can do will stop all violence. Right. But a series of government actions significantly reduced the number of people killed by drunken drivers. For a decade Australia had one mass murder a year. Since enacting gun control measures in 1996, they have had none, markedly reduced firearm homicides with no increase in non-firearm homicides, and reduced suicides. It’s a slippery slope; take any action and all guns will be confiscated. No one is talking about confiscating all guns. The Supreme Court ruled that the free speech amendment did not give anyone the right to yell fire in a crowed theater. The logic for sensible requirements on gun ownership and use is the same. Peggy Wireman Monona http://bit.ly/10HtLsz http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/mailbag/peggy-wireman-don-t-buy-into-m