Readers React: A 2nd Amendment refresher for The Times’ editorial board

Many gun rights supporters, especially those writing from out of state, didn’t much care for The Times’ editorial last Sunday opposed to a bill in Congress that would force states with relatively strict laws on firearms to let people with concealed carry permits issued elsewhere carry their guns. Their criticism of The Times (as well as of California and President Obama) was unsparing; put simply, the two cerebral letters on the editorial published this week — one from a constitutional law professor, the other from a Connecticut gun owner — do not reflect the other submissions.

Several were like this anonymous letter: “The government is supposed to follow the will of the people, but Hussein Obama and his corrupt minions are out to rule by fiat. So why don’t you stick reporting facts and keep your fascist opinions to yourself.”

Here are some of their letters.

Mike Moretti of The Villages, Fla., says this is about the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution:

Did you ever hear of the 2nd Amendment?

The right to bear arms is a right that will not be taken away from us by you, Congress or our so-called president.

Self-identified “proud gun owner” and firearms instructor Gary Sell questions The Times’ credibility:

Your editorial is totally … well, dumb. I bet the person who wrote this piece does not own a handgun and is one of the many that think firearms in general are bad.

And with that I would bet you have no idea about carrying a concealed handgun at all and that you are just spreading your idea of what you think it is all about.

This country has so many “experts” that scare people, and you seem to be one of them.

Otto Leisering says having a gun once saved his life:

Wow, really? Thousands of Texans, South Dakotans and maybe millions of Oklahomans might invade California brandishing weapons as soon as this reciprocity law passes?

There is this thing called the 2nd Amendment. Ever heard of it? I don’t need to have a license to exercise any of my other constitutionally guaranteed rights, so why do I have to pay fees and jump through other hoops to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights?

Twenty-two years ago having access to a gun saved my life, and I didn’t even have to fire it. If I had been a law-abiding citizen in California, I would have gotten stabbed.

Lorin Berry, a retired chief master sergeant in the Air Force, also invokes the Constitution:

I served 24 years in the Air Force so that you can speak your will. I am glad you take advantage of your free-speech rights.

Our founding fathers had the foresight to write the Bill of Rights. They knew the shortcomings of radical controls by those in power. The 2nd Amendment was as important to our forefathers as it is to us today.

With this editorial, you are trying to give away the rights I fought for by serving my country. You have not earned that right.

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