Why does any hint of regulation make the National Rifle Association and the gun fanatics go ballistic? No one needs automatic weapons for hunting nor home defense.

These are military weapons. They were invented long after the Second Amendment was written. The Second Amendment was written when the citizen militia was considered the principal defense force. The War of 1812 put that folly to rest. The militia morphed into the National Guard, armed and trained by the government.

Our governor and our president have shown the courage and wisdom to confront these people in an attempt to make our children safer.

Banning assault weapons won’t stop nut cases from killing people, but could limit the damage. It’s a sensible thing to do, and if it does happen, you can still have your considerable arsenal in your home.

Arthur L. Johnson

Potsdam

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer