I would like to disagree with our Governor Phil Murphy on the issue of gun control, as reported in your Aug. 3-9 edition. It seems to me there is some faulty thinking and invalid assumptions here. Firstly, I don’t believe guns cause violent crime any more than cannons caused the Civil War. The real reason behind most crime has to do with a root problem that has existed for generations in America: inequality and poverty. And these issues are not addressed by tightening up on gun laws and making New Jersey even more of a police state.Â
Secondly, the original intention of our founders in giving us the Second Amendment was not because of any love affair with guns. It was because they feared tyrannical government. After all that’s what the whole Revolutionary War was fought over. And that remains a valid concern even today. How many times in recent years have we heard stories about our police nationally using excessive force in dealing with fellow citizens? This should not be. Citizens should have the right–and the physical ability–to defend themselves against the police if need be. So no thanks, Governor Murphy, but we prefer to keep our weapons. Look elsewhere for solutions to social problems.Â
James Camilli
Cherry Hill
