Driving by the "Second Amendment rally" in Longmont on Saturday filled me with confusion. I'm all for citizens expressing their opinions but I can't figure out what these folks were protesting. No one in local, state or federal government is threatening to take away guns that people use for sport or for personal protection. However, these folks act as if the Gestapo is knocking on their neighbor's door and planning to move to theirs next.
Those of us that are voicing our concern with the epidemic of mass shooting that has beset our nation are simply asking that we try to find sensible ways to reduce this violence. Do the folks that were standing on the corner really believe that requiring background checks and brief delays in delivering a legally purchased gun is the predecessor to confiscation? I would ask that those that believe this open themselves to polite discussions of opposing points of view. Polls show that most gun owners are in favor of comprehensive background checks, but organizations like the NRA fight such legislation without giving it a chance.
Another sensible suggestion that I have read about recently would be to encourage gun owners to keep their weapons and ammunition under lock and key so that children and/or burglars cannot get a hold of them and use them tragically, as was the case in the recent Texas school shooting.
I suspect that most of the folks that participated in Saturday's rally are the type of responsible sport shooters and hunters who already have their weapons held safely in gun lockers. Let's see to it that those few irresponsible gun owners that aren't storing their guns safely be pushed to do so under the threat of legal and financial consequences for non-compliance.
Jim Braun
Longmont