Jacobs gets praise for taking a stand with restrictions on assault weapons

Editor:

This is an open letter congratulating Congressman Chris Jacobs on his stance with automatic weapons.

Recently we watched a 1970s Gunsmoke episode that depicted the difficult to impossible situations in which we put police: The citizens of a small community passed some regulation that made an influential cattleman angry. He threatened violence with his 30 cowboys, unless it was rescinded.

The banker and big businessmen in town, equally influential, demanded the sheriff protect them. “That’s what we hired you for!”

The sheriff pointed out that he and his one deputy couldn’t prevail against 30 armed cowboys.   Matt Dillon was a visiting marshal. Dillon intervened, recruited help, managed a truce.

But that’s what we do when we ask the police to stop madmen with automatic weapons. Our police can’t arm with automatic weapons. Victims would likely die with the assaulter, and neighbors and fellow policemen. There’s been 417 mass killings thus far this year.

Thank you Congressman Jacobs for your politically courageous stand on what we and many see as sensible precautions on rapid-fire assault weapons. FBI background checks on those applying for licenses, a 5 year term, and allowing for those deemed a danger to themselves and others to lose the privilege.

It’s a start. It should help save lives. It possibly would have stopped the Buffalo Tops murders.

Also, it has the added benefit of protecting our police. They found themselves outgunned in the

Buffalo store and in many other instances.

To us, this is another Life issue.

Robert E. Golden

Waterport