Gun measures are worth a try

By Ron Lankford, Henderson

Friday, Jan. 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Regarding “Help undo Heller’s gun-safety failure” (Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 8):

My family suffered a gun-safety tragedy similar to Darchel Mohler’s, only it was my 11-year-old son who accidentally killed his best friend. The gun had been left unattended and was stolen in a burglary by the friend’s brother. The incarceration that ensued resulted in a lifetime of crime for my son. The criminal element he encountered in jail convinced my son that he could avoid working for a living; he became a career criminal. He died recently from an overdose of heroin.

I have no idea if increased gun control will help reduce gun violence, but from my standpoint, it is worth a try. After all, we are required to prove who we are and take a test to show we know how to operate a vehicle. We must take a drug test to get a job with many companies. We must provide fingerprints to qualify for many professional licenses or to notarize a document. So why is it a big deal to do these things to purchase a deadly weapon?

The NRA proclaims, Guns do not kill people; people kill people. I say, People with guns kill people.