Rifle rampage: Will it ever stop?

Am I, a retired police lieutenant, the only one who has a problem understanding why a police officer is required to receive hundreds of hours of classroom instruction in the use of deadly physical force through academy and in-service training and annual proficiency certification for any weapon the officer may have, but a civilian is not required to get any training or proficiency certification to own a firearm [“Cops: Shooter considered 2nd attack,” News, July 7]?

Why not start a conversation about requiring training and proficiency for everyone before someone can own a firearm.

 — Jim Kiernan, Holbrook

I am a responsible gun owner whose affiliation with the National Rifle Association ended many years ago. I believe in the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. But I am against assault weapons designed for one reason — to kill en masse.

Several politicians, including President Joe Biden, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, want to regulate these weapons by setting age requirements, background checks and mental health evaluation. These weapons must be banned, period. They never should have been for sale to the public. Only military and law enforcement agencies should possess them.

I would have been happy to get rid of all my firearms, if my doing so would have prevented the murder of even one of those kids in Uvalde, Texas, or those watching the Highland Park, Illinois parade. Getting rid of my firearms would have been a well-worth sacrifice.

 — Giampaolo Fallai, Wading River

Nineteen elementary school children and seven parade watchers were killed by yet another two young men wielding AR-15-style assault weapons designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Our politicians’ despicable anemic response is “agreement in principle only” for gun safety legislation.

If countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand can ban assault weapons after mass shootings, so must we. These assault weapons are being used on the front lines of Ukraine in the war with Russia. They do not belong on the streets of America.

 — Linda Strome, Manorville

According to the Supreme Court, New York has been violating the rights of people who want to carry concealed weapons [“Supreme Court strikes down NY gun law,” News, June 24].

What about the rights of all of the people, both children and adults, who have died from gun violence? Why doesn’t the court recognize them? Doesn’t the Constitution first and foremost guarantee the right to life? When are we going to “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense”?

We are living in scary times, and our future is looking bleaker every passing day.

 — Christine Parker,  Middle Island

When is enough enough?

Day after day, we see death by guns in the media. Most of this carnage can be avoided by just doing a few simple things:

Ban to the public all weapons of war — automatic and semiautomatic.

Put a realistic tax on ammunition, and place micro tracking devices on all ammunition manufactured at plants.

 — Edward G. Fannon, Merrick

I am concerned about a reader who said he believes that the best way to prevent oppression by government is to have an armed citizenry [“Gun deal merely a GOP charade,” Letters, June 14]. “That’s what the Second Amendment is about . . .  , ” he wrote. This anti-government philosophy is exactly what motivates extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and encourages violence like that on Jan. 6, 2021.

What this writer fails to appreciate is that guns rarely act to protect our liberties, but instead a free society is protected by our collective belief and dedication to a wide variety of institutions and values: free speech, a free press, fair and honest elections, an independent judiciary, universal education, the right of workers to organize, a belief in due process, and most of all a commitment to the rule of law that applies equally to all the people no matter their status, wealth or political position.

The danger is when we allow self-promoting leaders and highly partisan media outlets to systematically undermine and attack these very institutions and beliefs, thus destroying the foundation upon which our country has been built.

— Vincent Lyons, Riverhead

Conservatives and our courts likely will continue to work hard to make sure that the right of all Americans to own and openly carry a vast variety of firearms will not be abridged. Local, state and federal governments need to find ways to limit the use of assault weapons without putting restrictions on the current interpretations of the Second Amendment.

New York has made a good start by restricting the purchase of body armor to law enforcement and military and requiring microstamping of ammunition. Limiting the purchase of high-velocity ammunition and other ammunition used in these weapons to military and law enforcement is not covered in the Second Amendment and would do much to prevent these weapons from being used in mass killings.

 — Rachel Ryan, East Northport

I am encouraged that President Joe Biden declared, “Enough! Enough!” about senseless mass shootings. However, it’s time for him to take off the gloves and identify every member of Congress, in both houses and both parties, who are blocking common-sense gun laws. Then he should hold a news conference and call on the American people to hold them accountable for their actions and indicate that if nothing changes, then Americans deserve all the horror that comes with the mass shooting of innocents.

 — Ed Patterson, Holbrook

With Congress so divided, why not pass a small bill that both parties’ members can agree on? Start with passing a universal background check bill of no more than four pages. It should take a week.

 — Christopher L. Turpin, Patchogue

Yet another mass shooting, and American flags are at half-mast again. Maybe half-mast isn’t low enough. Maybe it’s time to stop flying the flag, at least until we figure out, as a country, what we’re doing.

Maybe it’s time to close our doors, take a break, maybe shut everything down and take a day to think. Just one day of quiet pondering for the nation as a whole. Call it a national mental health day. I don’t think the rest of the world will mind.

 — Michael Leonardi, West Babylon