Editor:

As a gun owner and recreational shooter I take offense to Emily Rodriguez-Vargas’ insinuation that owning guns and shooting them for recreation turns people into homicidal, violence-loving maniacs (“Guns shouldn’t be recreational,” Dec. 11). If her column had been regarding an ethnic group instead of gun owners it would have never been printed due to the egregious stereotyping. Rodriguez-Vargas’ column gets it wrong on many accounts.

First, gun owners don’t believe the Second Amendment allows them to do “whatever they want.”

Second, shooting guns for recreation is no more a way “to feed our aggressive side” than football and basketball games.

Third, whoever said guns are only to be used “out of necessity”?

Fourth, you can’t compare Canadian gun statistics with U.S. statistics, as these countries have very different demographics regarding issues that influence the amount of gun violence.

Fifth, if someone wants to commit suicide, there are plenty of ways to do it without a gun. Don’t blame suicides on guns.

Sixth, there are deadly threats every time you cross the street, drive your car or almost anytime else you are alive. Hunting and recreational shooting are relatively safe pastimes.

Seventh, shooting guns for recreation does not “train their minds” to love violence, as millions and millions of law-abiding gun owners will attest.

Finally, how dare Rodriguez-Vargas imply that because someone owns guns they are not combating problems such as war, crime and poverty. Shame on you, Rodriguez-Vargas, for your ignorance and intolerance of something you clearly just don’t understand. Once again, gun owners are being condemned for a few rotten apples’ criminal activity.

Jacob Morrill,
Junior, Bioengineering