Comment on "Who's the Real Killer?"

In Ms. Hausmann's article, "Who's the Real Killer?", she makes the case that guns should be treated as tools for self defense and not so heavily restricted.  I wholeheartedly agree with Ms. Hausmann's stance on guns and the government's legislation about them. She is absolutely right in saying that "guns aren’t the killer; it’s the people that are in control of these tools that make them into lethal weapons." She also makes the excellent point that even if guns were somehow removed from society, I could just as easily kill someone with a car. In fact, I would wager that the number of motor vehicle fatalities is greater that those caused by firearms.

There are risks in almost every aspect of life. The issue with guns, as Ms. Hausmann mentioned, can be handled by creating and enforcing proper punishments for the misuse of a firearm. I also agree with her idea that everyone should go through a mandatory gun safety course and be trained on how to use THEIR particular gun, safely. Many people are worried about children getting a hold of guns, and children's deaths because of a poorly stored firearm are tragic. However this goes back to the motor vehicle example, children die in collisions, but still ride in cars. It is the parents responsibility to protect their child and this responsibility extends as much to locking and storing their gun correctly as it does to making sure their child wears a seat belt.

Guns are great tools for self defense and recreation. The key to maintaining a safe society is making sure those who misuse the privilege of gun ownership are punished accordingly, not making laws that restrict the citizens who know what they're doing with their gun.

I believe Ms. Hausmann did an excellent job of stating her case in support of gun ownership and citing examples of why she felt this way. Her examples were clear and her article was enjoyable and well thought out.