To the Editor:
Why is it that whenever our society hears of a violent firearms crime such as a theater or school shooting or a football player shooting his girlfriend, the call goes out for more gun control laws?
Laws do not govern man. Man governs himself when he chooses to submit to the legal guidelines established by his society. One cannot act according or contrary to law without first choosing to do so. Until man voluntarily chooses to submit to law, there will always be violent crimes committed by men with weapons of choice, be they a firearm, knife, baseball bat or rope.
I believe that until our society looks into the mirror of our collective soul to see man’s base nature, we will fail to place blame for all violent crimes where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of our society. Instead of writing new laws which will not be enforced, how about enforcing the laws on the books?
I would like to suggest we start with submitting to, “Thou shalt not murder.”
Dave Ricker
Wiscasset
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