The Sun Journal (May 4) evidently thinks that the proposed state-level ban on assault weapons and .50-caliber rifles is as necessary as banning fireworks. According to this paper, lawmakers, gun rights groups and firearms manufactures should create a ban that would satisfy the needs of all three groups via compromise.

Compromise is only necessary when two generally agreeable parties each have something the other wants, and work an agreement to benefit both parties. In this case, no compromise is possible or necessary as gun owners are in the right in possessing these weapons, and the opposition has nothing to offer accept the inevitability of another ban in the future.

The recently expired federal ban served only to condition Americans to the idea of certain types of firearms being contraband, not to reduce crime – that is why it included a sunset provision. Today, it is assault weapons; tomorrow it will be scoped rifles after they have been demonized in the media as “super accurate sniper weapons.”

Americans have the right to own, carry and use whatever weapons they see fit, with no government intrusion on any level. We have accepted such intrusion in the past, and that is why we have bills such as L.D. 1579 proposed now. Compromising indicates to the other side that we do not know in our hearts that owning weapons is an honorable, patriotic and prudent act, and they then use that to gradually disarm us. Weapons are the badges of a free people.

John Donald Jr., Jay

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