Letters: We must shed our indifference to gun violence

American freedoms are enviable gifts. However, with freedom comes responsibility to not deny other citizens their freedom to live. This balance begs the difficult question: Does a person’s right to live override the freedom to own multiple assault weapons?

The law requires children to be enrolled in school at age 6; shouldn’t that be accompanied by laws that do their best to protect them from dying in a gun massacre? After the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, many parents cried, “And what about my child’s right to live?”

Massacres in movie theaters, colleges, workplaces, etc., weren’t this common 15 years ago. President Obama is correct in describing our numbness to these horrific events. What kind of citizenry have we become? We need to be jostled from our numbness. It seems that the frequency of these massacres would make us the opposite of numb.

We should all check a candidate’s position on gun control before voting. Monitor gun stores, pawn shops, any places that sell guns; sellers want to make a sale. And if you learn of someone who owns an assault weapon talking or posting on social media any plans to use the weapons, report it to authorities. Overcome the fear of retribution by considering the possibility of living with the guilt of others being murdered.

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 1:06 PM.