Letter of the Day: Citizen firepower

Citizen firepower

EDITOR: I keep reading letters with various themes regarding gun control. Some say we don't need a semi-automatic, assault-style weapon to hunt (true), and we don't need this type of gun to stop an intruder (also true). However, I need this type of gun to stop an out-of-control, rights-abusing government.

I have read that when the Second Amendment was written, muskets were used, so let the gun owners have muskets. But we need to remember that the government of the time also had muskets. If I were trying to stop a tyrannical government today, I would need to use no less than a rapid-fire, semi-automatic weapon, with at least a 30-round clip. Even with this, I would be out-gunned, but at least I'd have a chance. The Second Amendment was written to stop the government from having more firepower than the public and for the government to never have the ability to use force to subdue its people.

I'm not a violent person, and I have a great dislike for movies and video games depicting violence, but I'm not willing to give up my right to protect myself against a government, if necessary. I just don't think it would be wise to bring a single-shot, bolt-action rifle to an automatic weapon fight.

TAMMIE PISORS

Cloverdale