Your “Our View” in the Dec. 8 edition calls once again for some type of unspecified gun control to stop the madness occurring all too frequently across this great land. You suggest that the problem has been created by the Republicans in Congress in concert with the gun industry. Reality is that current gun laws are the result of both parties loyalty to the gun industry.

To your contention that some legislative measure can stop the madness, I invite you to be more specific as what will be the cure. We have had weapons banned in the past, but that didn’t work. Automatic weapons are still banned without a special license from ATF that is almost impossible to obtain.

Cities and states have implemented tough gun laws in an effort to forestall violent crime. California has the toughest gun laws in the country. Chicago has long banned firearms. How have tough gun laws worked there? Why should we expect different results elsewhere? No matter the law, criminals will obtain the weapons they want.

You seem to scoff at the notion that Republican’s proposed legislation to improve identifying and treating those who exhibit mental illness. Take a moment to examine the violent folks who committed the mass killing in this country. Columbine, Sandy Hook, Charleston, Colorado Springs and others where clearly the work of deranged individuals. Current law denies guns to individuals with mental illness, as it should be. Only San Bernardino stands as a instance where true terrorist acted in what they thought was a rational manner. I think most of us would classify that act as insane as well.

So I ask once again, what action can we take to ensure no more mass killings occur in this country. If indeed there is some “firm action” short of dismantling the Second Amendment that could accomplish this goal, I believe it would be widely supported. To my knowledge, no one has found that answer as yet. Neither the mentally ill nor terrorist give any thought to violating the law.

Charles Massey

Bay Tree Lakes