Letters to the Editor 12/26/2012

To the Editor:

The ban on assault weapons is not a rational issue.

Don't believe for one moment that you can convince someone who holds the view of the unlimited right to purchase weapons of any type that assault weapons should be banned.

Tired of feeling helpless, I decided to send out an email to my whole email list (knowing well that it included some rather conservative friends).

I anticipated a few people asking me to take them off their list.

What I did not anticipate was the landslide of emails from people saying "I am with you.

The situation is crazy." The NRA has about 4 million members.

The population of the United States is 311 million.

So what we have is one person out of 79 who are holding us hostage to their beliefs.

I am a psychologist. Don't buy the argument that we need better mental-health funding as a solution. If you think that the mass murders show up in counselor's offices to talk out their problems you are delusional. I have been in practice for over 30 years. How many have I had? Zero!

Some of the people who responded to my email baited me with the question about what is an "assault weapon," one suggesting that a rolling pin could be considered one if it is used for assault.

What I have learned time and time again: Don't try to debate the issue with these "gun nuts" (and to be perfectly clear, I am not talking legitimate hunters).

They have their opinion.

Reason won't change it.

What will change the situation is not reason, but voting.

Put pressure on our legislators and don't let it cease.

As we all know in our (unfortunate) political system, money speaks.

We know the NRA, a thinly veiled lobby for the munitions industry, has cash.

We simply have to overwhelm them with more cash and political pressure.

Ken Serkownek, Ph.D.