This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After a shooting, I get tired of people saying, "Now is not the time to talk about or politicize gun laws." That's the dumbest thing I've heard.
When bridges start collapsing, we talk about fixing them. When the space shuttle explodes, we investigate and make changes. When children are kidnapped, we strengthen our laws. When hurricanes wipe out beach-front communities, we make plans for future events.
Now is the time to fix gun laws. And Republicans need to step up to the plate. After all, they were the ones who killed the federal ban on rapid-fire assault weapons. Soldiers and law enforcement needs those weapons, not everyday citizens.
A vast majority of Americans (more than 75 percent) want background checks, gun registration and no guns for felons or the mentally ill. And a strong majority (60 percent) want to ban semi-automatic guns and high-capacity ammo clips.
Our representatives in Congress need to represent what the people want, not what the gun lobby wants.
Neil Campbell
Murray