Securing guns

To prevent mentally ill people from using guns to kill, two things are needed: First, prevent them from buying guns legally and, second, make sure that healthy gun owners secure their guns.

As a gun owner, I have no problem with laws that require gun buyers to get permits to buy handguns or rifles, to get a separate permit for each gun, to wait seven days before authorities issue a permit, to be interviewed face-to-face when applying for a permit.

I have no problem with laws that require gun sellers to obtain and file the permits, that limit gun magazine capacity to 10 rounds, that limit the purchase of ammo to 25 rounds in any one day and that close the loopholes for gun shows and person-to-person gun transfers.

Gun owners should be required to own a trigger lock for each gun and have a secure place of storage (closet, gun safe, etc.) where their guns can and will be stored whenever visitors or children are present or the owner is not at home.

Severe penalties and personal liabilities could be written into the law, including the forfeiture of the gun if a gun is stolen or handled by an unauthorized person.

Winston T. Hooker Sr.

Cary