4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| AUGUST 17, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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Letters to the Editor policy
Biggest challenge to ending gun violence? Political will
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub-
missions on this and other topics are
always welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
The New York Times re-
cently pointed out U.S.
mass shootings cannot be
explained by a violent cul-
ture, racial divisions or
mental health.
A more plausible explanation:
America has more guns in pri-
vate hands than people: 120.5
per 100 people. Canada, by com-
parison, has 34.7 guns per 100
people. Americans — about 4.4
percent of the world’s population
— own 42 percent of the world’s
guns, more than all civilians
combined in 25 other countries.
Definitions of mass shooting
vary. Defined as three or more
victims in a single incident, there
have been 294 mass shootings in
the U.S. so far in 2019. However
defined, from Sandy Hook to El
Paso, “assault-style” rifles are the
weapon of choice of America’s
mass shooters.
Domestic assault-style rifles
are derived from the Colt Ar-
malite AR-15 (military M16).
They (and foreign imports such
as the Russian AK-47) were re-
stricted by the Federal Assault
Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004,
when the law sunset and was not
renewed.
From the expiration of Colt’s
patents to 2015, the number of
Guest Viewpoint
By Arnold Buchman
Florence
AR-15 style variants and knock-
offs increased dramatically.
Because of this wide variety,
estimates of the total number
of assault-style rifles in private
ownership varies widely.
The numbers are uncertain in
part because the ATF does not
break out state-level ownership
by category. But, the most con-
servative estimates put the num-
ber in the 3 to 5 million range
within the total of more than
300 million firearms owned by
Americans.
Gun violence may be explained
by mental illness and video
games. Maybe it is controllable
by background checks, waiting
periods and red flag laws.
But as we wait for our politi-
cians to enact these “solutions,”
assault-style weapons remain
readily obtainable. Enough so
that any suggestion the number
can be effectively reduced is dis-
missed as impossible.
Australia did so after a mass
killing in 2016 with ban-and-
buy-back legislation — and has
not experienced a mass
killing since. Earlier this
year after a similar tragedy,
New Zealand did the same.
Neither country’s programs
involve police knocking
down doors.
Is it worth a try here?
Ban-and-buy-back is not a sil-
ver bullet.
Nevertheless, the Dayton
shooter killed 10 and wounded
26 in just 30 seconds! Had he not
been armed with an assault-style
rifle (and a 100-round maga-
zine) the casualty count certainly
would have been a lot lower.
The challenge of attempting
to take assault-style rifles out
of circulation is to be measured
by the cost of El Paso, Dayton
and the 294-and-counting mass
shootings we have experienced
since 2019 began. The challenge
we face is political will, not the
Manhattan Project or the moon
landing.
Is it worth a try?
You decide.
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the edi-
tor as part of a community discussion of issues on
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ters received.
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As with all letters and advertising content, the
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Email letters to:
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WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate
Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
(4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
(Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
oregonlegislature.gov
State Rep.
Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@oregonlegislature.gov
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us