I must respond to John Alexander’s letter concerning more guns and arming the citizenry.
As a military man, I was fully trained in the use of all kinds of firearms, even though in my profession, I would never have to actually use one, beyond the pleasures of annual proficiency and target practice on the ranges (Full disclosure, I was also a game hunter at one time).
Nevertheless, I believe that the vast majority of military persons would agree with me, that arming the citizenry is pure insanity. I know for fact that the police certainly agree with me.
The country to the south of us has a gun-toting culture, and no matter what the statistics say about decreasing crime, they have by far and away the highest per-capita death by guns in the entire world, (except perhaps the war-torn countries in the Middle East).
Perhaps that is also why they are more often the target of terrorism.
I would much rather face the slightest of possibilities of being gunned down by a criminal than face the prospect of having to draw a gun to defend myself.
The thought that I might end up killing someone, no matter what the cause, is beyond me.
I can only say that if you want to live in an OK Corral sort of culture, then perhaps you should emigrate.
Gregory A. Milne
Vernon