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Recent letters have demanded “common sense” gun laws.

I agree, so let’s discuss it by examining facts about the latest atrocity in Texas. Fact one: The shooter was banned from having firearms by at least three laws: mental institution commitment, domestic violence conviction, and dishonorable military discharge. This failed due to lack of data entry.

However given the decades old war on drugs and today’s drug epidemic, does anyone think firearms will not always be easily available on the black market? Fact two: The church was a legal gun free zone as has been almost universally true in past incidents.

These zones are directly analogous to handcuffing a woman, throwing her into a men’s prison yard, and telling her she’s safe because rape is illegal. Fact three: A good guy, who had to retrieve his firearm from his home, stopped the rampage. How many more would be dead had he not and how many fewer in past incidents where someone was armed.

So what does common sense say? It says 1) Enforce the laws already on the books and review/revise them for actual usefulness, 2) Eliminate gun free zones, 3) Encourage firearms training and everyday concealed carry by as many people as possible.

One of the supposed characteristics of adults is the ability to tell reality from wishful thinking. Ditch the emotion and think. However, the elephant in the room is what has changed in society that people now believe such rampages are somehow an answer to their issues.

NICK ORIHEL

Sandpoint