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Hallman: Guns and Summit County sheriff John Minor

Guns and Sheriff Minor

A recent letter to the Summit Daily attacking Millie Hamner concluded by asking us to imagine a store loaded with 200 gun packing shoppers. The author proposes openly armed shoppers as a way to reduce crime. He apparently dreams of hundreds of vigilantes roaming the aisles, in a George Zimmerman state of mind, looking for strangers in hoodies and other misfits. What a nightmare!

Guns are not the answer. The United States has more than 14 times as many guns per person than England, yet our murder rate is 4 times higher. Guns do not reduce crime; in fact they are a big part of the problem. Guns embolden some people to track and kill. Guns enable others to rob and kill; or as at Sandy Hook and Aurora, simply to kill.



My friend John Minor seems to have bought into the vigilante justice mindset; lock, stock, and barrel. That scares me. Our elected sheriff, having sworn to uphold the law and protect citizens, now seems more interested in defending the NRA.

John, I’m interested in your response. Do you agree with the letter writer and others like him, that openly arming citizens will reduce crime? Do you dream of thousands of heavily armed trigger happy vigilantes roaming Summit County looking for trouble? Is that your vision of a safe community?



Or, are you willing to embolden yourself, step away from radical ideology, and concentrate on saving lives? Please join Millie Hamner for a common sense middle of the road approach toward guns, one more reflective of the Summit County citizens you serve.

Howard Hallman

Silverthorne


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