It was with some amazement I read Bradley Aldrich’s commentary (Feb. 4). In the column, Bradley equated the current decrease in U.S. violent crime with “gun laws” and said that common sense revealed the efficacy of these laws. Unfortunately, science and common sense don’t always overlap.

Since 1991, the number of privately owned firearms has risen by about 70 million units.That includes 30 million handguns and about a million “military look-a-like” firearms banned by the 1994 Clinton administration and New York and California legislators (none of the 1994 banned weapons are fully automatic “assault rifles,” a confusing misnomer). Any of these banned firearms and magazines produced prior to Sept. 14, 1994, are available for purchase.

It is important to note that since 1991, the number of states that have Right To Carry (RTC) concealed weapon laws has increased from 17 to 36 and the percentage of the U.S. population that lives in RTC states has doubled to nearly 60 percent.

What is the effect on crime of these millions of new, gun owning, law abiding citizens?

How about a 12 consecutive year decrease to a 26-year low in all categories of violent crime? (FBI statistics). Americans defend themselves with firearms roughly 2.5 million times per year.

Furthermore, Federal, State and local police department studies have shown that military look-a-like firearms are just that. They look military. But they are used so infrequently in crimes as to have no bearing on crime levels whatsoever. Finally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently released a study (late 2003) which pointed out there is no evidence that any gun prohibition laws have reduced crime. None.

Please, let’s rely on science for the defense of our families and not alleged “common sense.”

Keenan Zeltinger

Junior

Animal Ecolog