From: Sarah Thompson <righter@intele.net>
Subject: LETTER - UT 
To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 20:58:46 -0600 (MDT)


Forwarded message:
> 
> This letter to the editor has been submitted to the Salt Lake Tribune in 
> reponse to yet another of their anti-gun editorials.
> 
> The Righter - Sarah Thompson
> righter@intele.net
> Web  http://www.intele.net:80/~righter/
> Finger for PGP key
> 
> 
> 		                            April 29, 1995
> 
> Public Forum
> The Salt Lake Tribune
> PO Box 867
> Salt Lake City, UT 84110
> 
> Dear Public Forum,
> 
> In your April 28 editorial, "Court Fires Loud Shot" , you  state,
> regarding the Supreme  Court's overturning  prohibitions of  guns
> near schools: "This is disturbing because the states, several  of
> which have tried to liberalize their concealed weapons carry laws
> this year, have not shown a disposition to curb  gun violence  by
> curbing gun use."
> 
> I agree that guns do not belong in the hands of schoolchildren.  
> But  curbing  gun  USE  does  NOT  curb  gun  violence.   Curbing
> CRIMINALS is what curbs gun violence, not curbing  the rights  of
> law-abiding  citizens.    In fact,  to obtain  a concealed  carry
> permit,   a   person  has   to  pass   rigorous  criteria,   thus
> demonstrating  that  he  or  she  is  among  our most  upstanding
> citizens.  Criminals do not bother to get permits  or go  through
> background  checks; they obtain their guns elsewhere.
> 
> My gun will never make  me a  violent person  or a  criminal.   I
> abhor violence so much that I will not  hunt or  even shoot  live
> sagebrush.  I shoot paper targets.  Disarming me would only serve
> to potentially increase violence by providing criminals with  yet
> another easy target.
> 
> The citizens of this country  need to  understand that  a gun  is
> only a tool, and it is the intent of the person who possesses  it
> that determines whether it leads to criminal violence, to  lawful
> defense of  home and  family, or  to a  fun and  relaxing day  of
> target  practice.    Gun  use  simply  does not  equate with  gun
> violence.
> 
>                               Sincerely,
> 
> 
>                               Sarah Thompson, M.D.
>                               
>