After reading Mr. Martel’s letter on controlling ammo and guns (Letters, Jan. 4), I thought I would inform him of current Massachusetts firearms law. One cannot legally buy ammo or buy or possess a firearm in this state unless one has a firearms license. To obtain the license, one takes a four-hour class, must be 21 years old or older, must supply three references, is photographed and finger-printed, and is given both a criminal and mental health background check. The local police chief can reject the application for any reason.
While I agree that the Newtown, Conn., [event] is a tragedy, the statistics just don’t support Mr. Martel’s suggestions. Crime rates are 20 to 30 percent higher in places like Washington, D.C., and Chicago, where firearm ownership is restricted. Criminals go to these areas knowing their targets are unarmed. School shootings have risen since the passage of school gun-safe zones—mental cases and criminals do not care about gun-safe zones and they know they will meet no armed opposition until the police arrive after the fact.
In Massachusetts, legal firearms are restricted from schools, and the state has been downsizing its mental health budgets for years, so the Newtown event could happen here. In California, guns sales and ownership hit an all-time high, while deaths from guns hit a new low. More law-abiding citizens can protect themselves, and Los Angeles has put a really good effort into controlling gangs with their illegal gun and drug possession problems.
Many schools (30 percent) in other states are now adopting an air marshal-style of last-ditch defense against shooters that could enter a school. They have hired armed guards, and some have now armed their school police; other jurisdictions now allow teachers to carry a gun after special training, just like some airline pilots do.
If I were to follow Mr. Martel’s logic, let’s ban cars to prevent drunk drivers, and let’s heavily tax kitchen knives and baseball bats to prevent murders. Even President Obama’s children attend schools that have firearms, and his children are no less important than ours.
Joe Dzekevich
Withington Lane
