To the Editor:

This is in response to Mayor Larry Gilbert’s cry for politicians to enact more gun safety laws. (“Mayor’s Corner: How many more tragedies before politicians enact gun safety laws?” TCT, Feb. 3, 2011, page 5.)

Mayor Gilbert must believe that misguided individuals are not smart enough to get around this initiative. If a handgun is limited to a 10-round capacity, then someone could use two or more guns to accomplish what one gun cannot.

The point is that “people kill people,” and firearms are just a means to accomplish just that. Thousands of people are killed in vehicle accidents for a variety of reasons. Does that suggest we should stop people from purchasing certain kinds of vehicles?

I do believe the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) is a good idea, as it targets people not guns. We have all sorts of laws that prove getting legislators to pass more laws does nothing but waste taxpayers’ money. We cannot enforce the laws we have, let alone create more for the sake of feeling good.

The NRA is against violence and continually supports enforcing common-sense laws. The knee-jerk reaction to create a bill that falls far short of its intended goal seems to be the common path of those who believe that more laws should be enacted against guns, rather than creating a real deterrent to violent crime.

Peter Robicheau

Naples