"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” — The Second Amendment

In response to Andrew Hedlund's article on the current status of gun control in Arizona (AFN, April 29), I would like to make the following observations:

In response to Andrew Hedlund's article on the current status of gun control in Arizona (AFN, April 29), I would like to make the following observations:

In the Aug. 3 AFN, Susan Stamper-Smith provided us with the normal National Rifle Association (NRA) talking points on the futility of gun control, as a response to the horrific massacre in Colorado (“The futility of gun control”). Her basic assertions are that mad killers will always find the way to kill (“If every last gun was shipped across our borders fast and furiously, murderers would still find a way to kill”), and that if only people in the Aurora movie theater were packing heat a tragedy could have been minimized.

"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." — The Second Amendment

Bonnie Erbe, guest commentary

After a long string of political defeats that culminated in the Democratic Party’s loss of control in Congress in 1994, gun-control activists decided to take a new tack.

About Will Durst’s mistaken column about gun control and Senator Diane Feinstein’s rants about assault rifles — what does the 2nd Amendment have to do with hunting or target shooting? Nothing. What does it have to do with citizens defending themselves against a government-controlled militia? EVERYTHING! Just ask the successful Viet Cong, the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, the Taliban, and lots of other grassroots insurgencies. The Founding Fathers knew that, and so do a high percentage of US voters.

Folks, I don’t advocate the total repeal of the Second Amendment, but can we please put it in perspective? Can there be a balance between that right and the “inalienable” right of those children in Connecticut to life and the pursuit of happiness?

Welcome to President Obama’s second term, America — that special place where ridiculousness replaces raison d’etre, and presidents give us things like gun control a’ la United Nations.

I am writing about the not-so-thoughtful letter from gun (lover) Arthur C. Peterson: “What kind of country do you want?” I’d like to live in a country where so-called law-abiding citizens do not have access to weapons of war like AK 47’s that are designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. I also certainly don’t want to live in a country where citizens are allowed to possess chemical or biological weapons like Peterson advocated.

If you ask the typical hyper-political gun owner (and I have ... at Thanksgiving dinner), why it’s important to own a gun, they’ll bark about the Constitution. Yes, the Second Amendment: “The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed!”

The issue of gun control has once again come to the surface, in light of several bills passed by the state Legislature before the session ended.

The issue of gun control has once again come to the surface, in light of several bills passed by the state Legislature before the session ended.

The issue of gun control has once again come to the surface, in light of several bills passed by the state Legislature before the session ended.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says it will take up a challenge to Chicago's ban on handguns, opening the way for a ruling that could set off a vigorous new campaign to roll back state and local gun controls across the nation.

It’s only human nature to want to take action after such a harrowing traumatic event. To do something. Anything, to protect our kids. And make sure that Newtown never ever happens again. Here. There. Anywhere.