THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 1996 TAG: 9603200014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 32 lines
In the wake of the slaughter of innocent children in Dunblane, Scotland, I think it is time to ask ourselves as Americans, ``What does our future hold?''
My father was an avid gun collector. Guns have been in my life for as long as I can remember. My fear of guns is something relatively new.
Reading about the murder of people by handguns has become commonplace in America, yet when people are murdered in other countries, the stories cover the headlines for days. Why does it take a massacre in a foreign land to raise an eyebrow when we see blood in every city in this nation?
Tightening the gun laws and holding the buyers of guns 100 percent accountable for their newly acquired property is not much to ask of the National Rifle Association or gun advocates, particularly if it helps keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. Why have we as Americans stopped holding people responsible for things that affect the lives of innocent people?
These questions need to be asked, just as new laws need to be enforced, to keep people from suffering horrific losses like those in Dunblane.
MELISSA CHANCELLOR
Norfolk, March 15, 1996 by CNB