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Guns don’t make people safer

There is a major misconception that carrying guns will keep you safe.

ABC News conducted a study in 2009 to find the truth. Chris Benton and firearms instructor Glen Dorney, both of the Bethlehem Police Department, were heads of the experiment.

They had participants go through more training than almost half the states require to carry a concealed weapon. They were then given a real handgun with Simunition bullets filled with paint. After going into a class, they were suddenly confronted in what they thought was a real attack by a gunman. It showed they couldn’t unholster their guns fast enough.

In 2015, the Journal of Preventative Medicine found guns were not effective for self-defense. From the AMA to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the safest home for children and teens is one without guns. Or you could ask the teens shot dead in Texas by their gun-obsessed mother. Or the 9-year-old girl who accidentally killed her instructor while attempting to shoot an Uzi.

The National Rifle Association was hijacked by professional lobbyist Wayne LaPierre years ago. It went from a sportsman group to a political powerhouse where no GOP nomination for president will happen without its endorsement.

M. Thomas Davis, a retired Army officer who commanded a unit during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, states that the Army has the highest gun control. Why? Guns are dangerous.

He suggests that we look more Army than the wild west.

The Second Amendment was written for a well-regulated militia and “military-like responsibility,” Davis stated.

We either have a gun problem or a “people problem” here. Which is it? All lives matter. Now act like it. Chicago does have a horrific homicide rate. Those guns are trafficked in from states with loose gun-control laws.

Even more erroneous is to blame President Barack Obama and those on the left. Those were irresponsible and unprofessional statements.

Lori Wiedemer

Altoona

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