Isn't it time to change approach to guns in our society?

As the discussion of gun control goes on and on, common sense solutions to address the insanity of gun-related homicides in our country seem more elusive than ever.

Implementation of background checks and stricter limitations on gun ownership which would save lives of untold innocent men, women and children have been stymied by the NRA and other gun industry advocates.

Our country has by far the highest gun ownership and the highest gun-related deaths per capita in the world with possible exceptions like Somalia and Nigeria. It doesn’t, have to be this way. Other countries such as Finland, Switzerland and Israel have high gun ownership but practically no gun-related crimes.

Gun ownership in these countries is registered with the government and transfer of ownership is also monitored. In our country with practically no knowledge of who has guns, law enforcement agencies spend millions of dollars at taxpayers’ expense trying to trace weapons used in crimes.

Just as we require the registration of motor vehicles, boats and aircraft, it is time to include registration of guns. No doubt the NRA and others will fight any such requirement and won’t be satisfied until guns are allowed for anyone, any time and any place but it is time to put some sanity back into gun ownership. —Bill Breen, Kalispell