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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992                   TAG: 9201280107
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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DANGER OF GUNS IN HOME IS EXAGGERATED

A LETTER Jan. 16 quoted the "Old Farmers Almanac" as saying, "Keeping a loaded handgun or rifle in your home is about 43 times more likely to kill you, or a member of your family, than to protect against an intruder."

This is blatantly and intellectually dishonest and misleading. That statistic is not exclusive of households that contain members who are criminally minded, prone to rash violence, or are mentally disturbed.

Nor does the statistic hold up when we replace the phrase "your (my) home" with "a home with a stable environment and guns properly secured." My home does not contain guns lying around loaded for visitors or children to accidentally discharge. My home also does not contain guns that could easily be utilized by intruders. Nor are my wife and I apt to utilize a gun when we may on occasion anger each other.

Be sure, though, that my wife and I will protect our home and family with deadly force if need be, a right protected by our Constitution's Second Amendment. Forty-three times more likely to harm myself or my family than to protect against an intruder? I think not!

MATT GRZIBOWSKI

ROANOKE

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