Correspondent of the week
HELEN ETTERS, Winston-Salem
Armed America
Protests over police brutality? Mass killings? This is America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that guns kill 30,000Americans per year. Less than 3 percent of these are self-defense.
This is America. This does not happen in Canada or Australia or Spain or any other industrialized nation. This is America! In other countries, police approach a car or a suspect and don’t have to wonder whether this person is carrying a gun. They assume the citizen is not, and that is almost always correct. In America, police approach a car or a suspect and they assume the person they are stopping, for perhaps a broken turn signal, is likely carrying a gun.
They have to fear for their lives every time they stop someone for speeding, and when they expect that the citizen probably has a gun, they are more likely to use their own. When our own NC state legislators prevent the public from seeing the police-cam recordings, they only make matters worse.
As Ronald Reagan said in May, 1967, “There’s no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons.”
If we don’t like this armed America, if we want to protect our police officers, if we want a safe country, then we have to get rid of the guns. Get rid of the guns.
Helen of Marlowe's Blog 
Helen, I read your fine letter in the Journal. Thanks for troubling
Sent from my iPhone
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Good letter, Helen. You are exactly right in your reasoning, although I do not believe it is possible for us to become like Canada or Australia in our gun laws. The gun culture has very deep roots in our society and to call for severe restrictions just makes them crazy and boosts sales. I would settle for a ban on military assault weapons and closing the background-check loopholes.
Come join me in my fantasy world of no guns. No guns. Have you ever been struck with the notion, while reading mystery fiction, fiction from, oh, say the Nero Wolfe days, or from British writers, struck with the realization that (often) the villans don’t have guns. Well, actually, I don’t read a whole lot of murder mysteries, but recently in “I Let You Go” I was struck by the woman, in the end (spoiler) fending off her would-be killer, neither armed. I’m a bit of a pessimist when I consider the future of this country.
Fantasy indeed.
The barber shop I go to subscribes to several gun magazines, including the NRA’s monthly publication. It only takes a few minutes’ perusal to realize that guns are more than mere machines or tools to their aficionados, they are more like objects of worship. I think that, to many, they are psychologically symbolic of resistance to the unfairness of life. This is now embedded in our culture.
Indeed, and a great quote by Reagan.
I am proud of you, Helen. You do write well.