People, not guns the problem

I'm a Libertarian and a member of the National Rifle Association. I'm writing to inform you why I disagree with your position on gun control in response to Brian Zell's column, "Hey NRA, protect your interests" (Feb. 12). \nI understand you agree that decent, law-abiding citizens should be allowed to have guns. I agree as well. When you state criminals and children should not have access to guns, you are correct again. As you might know, there are already laws in place to keep guns from criminals and children. Why do we need more? The laws we have now are not being enforced aggressively enough. \nI have a lot of liberal friends who say, "We need to have ways to make it harder for criminals and children to get guns," as they smoke their pot. I then ask them, "If we made guns completely illegal for anyone to have, as illegal as the drugs you use and can readily obtain, would we be safer?"\nThe problem with this country is not the guns, it's the lack of personal responsibility, the loss of ethics and morals, the fact that violent criminals spend little or no time in jail. Gun laws are so restrictive that law-abiding citizens cannot carry guns without jumping through hoops while criminals carry guns without regard for the law. \nYou must also consider throughout history the "oppressors" (our government, Nazis, slave owners, tyrants) have armed themselves while the "oppressed" (us, American Indians, Jews, slaves, repressed peoples) were/are disarmed. If you could go back in time and arm the Jews in Germany, would you? \nA perfect example of an armed country where the "people" do not have restrictive gun laws is Switzerland. Every male without a criminal history at the age of 18 is military trained and issued an assault rifle that they keep at home -- yes, assault rifle. Guess what? Their crime rate is less than the United Kingdom's. \nI hope I've helped you to understand where people like me, a Libertarian and NRA supporter, are coming from.