Gun Control Legislation

* George Skelton used his column (Sept. 7) to urge Gov. Pete Wilson to sign into law two more gun control bills. One purports to make small handguns safer. The other would make more guns assault weapons by changing definitions. There isn’t any evidence that these small handguns are unsafe or fire by themselves.

The proposed assault weapons law is more problematical. It will redefine some guns as assault weapons and then ban them. Both of these laws attack certain types of the only tools guaranteed to citizens by the Bill of Rights. They do not go after criminal misuse of the tools, they credit the tool with the ability to force an individual into criminal behavior. This is not logical.

Criminals won’t pay any attention to gun control laws, as they disregard all laws. That means the gun control laws will only affect the law-abiding.

Each new law that is aimed against the right to keep and bear arms furthers the lack of respect for the law in general. Is this really what Skelton wants?

JIM DODD

San Diego

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* Re “ ‘Smart’ Guns Are a Dumb Idea,” Commentary, Sept. 4: Susan Glick left the most important facts out of her column about gun safety. A personalized safety that only lets the owner fire the weapon is intended to keep children from accidentally firing it and it would be a big advantage to police officers, most of whom are killed with their own weapon.

DAVE DiGREGORIO

Los Angeles