Stricter Gun Laws Impact Law-abiding Owners

To the Editor:
Misinformation and political agendas lead to unnecessary panic. That seems to be the case in regard to those opposing Cape May County’s Second Amendment “Sanctuary status.” Which, in effect, validates and supports the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights, (all individual rights,) to keep and bear arms?
It is a right that the Democratic left has been slowly eroding and attempting to subvert in many forms. Especially via demonization.
According to a Heritage Foundation study, there are over 300 million legally owned firearms in this country. The vast majority are never used in a crime.
Violent crimes of all means have been on the decline for decades and the vast majority of legal gun owners are trained, law-abiding, responsible citizens.
So-called assault rifles are used in less than 3% of shootings and in fact, are not military-grade automatic weapons but semi-auto just as are most handguns and rifles. Fully automatic military-style rifles are illegal.
Legal gun owners prevent many crimes and save lives, which is rarely reported by the media. Every legal gun owner must go through a background check.
For a handgun, there is a waiting period and the local or state police do an extensive background investigation. The problem is not with legal gun owners who are being punished as the laws become more restrictive and expensive, a result of backlash every time there is a shooting, usually committed by a criminal with an illegal gun.
Making the point are major cities like Chicago and Detroit which have some of the most restrictive gun laws yet also the highest rates of shooting deaths by drug gangs and criminals with illegal guns.
Suicides, sadly, are the exception but there are usually signs long before that person takes their life. One intent on suicide will find a way even in the absence of a gun. Perhaps we need to reexamine the mental health laws as well as enforcing strict prosecutions/sentences of those offenders who, in liberal cities, are usually back on the street in short order to offend again.
Meanwhile, the cry for stricter gun control will never stop or affect them. It will only make it harder for good, law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. Emotion is a strong motivator but can also cloud the facts.