Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

Re “God, Firearms and America Come Together at a Church in Kentucky” (news article, June 29):

Because it has more than 280 million guns in civilian hands, the United States is the most deadly industrialized country on the planet. The National Rifle Association and its disciples try to normalize abnormal behavior by encouraging open display of weapons. They would fundamentally change the culture of churches and parks where people congregate for peace and contemplation.

Americans must wake up to the gun lobby’s deadly agenda of any gun, anywhere, anytime. Ignoring the seemingly far-fetched idea of armed citizens everywhere could be a deadly mistake.

Jackie Hilly
Executive Director
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New York, June 30, 2009

Note from KBJ: The people with guns are either law-abiding or not. If they're law-abiding, then the letter writer has nothing to worry about. If they're not law-abiding, then they won't be deterred from acquiring firearms by a gun law. This letter is a perfect specimen of hoplophobia, which is the characteristic disease of progressives.

Note 2 from KBJ: The website to which I linked (New Yorkers Against Gun Violence) says that "Guns kill more than 30,000 people every year in America." Guns don't kill people; people kill people. How many times does this need to be said? How many Americans are killed in automobile accidents? Does the letter writer advocate taking people's automobiles away? If not, why not? What's the difference? How about knives? Lots of Americans are killed every year by knife-wielding assailants. Why is there no organization known as New Yorkers Against Knife Violence? This is gun hatred, folks.