Gun Proliferation and Violence

The Times suggests that a “lax system allows proliferation of weapons” in America (May 18). This is a gross misplacement of blame, for it is simply the tremendous rate at which our nation produces and makes available firearms that leads to their proliferation on our streets.

No other nation in the world comes close to producing and placing on the market the number of guns the U.S. does. And it is no coincidence that no other nation even comes close to America’s gun-related death rate. In Great Britain, where rules for obtaining a firearm are highly restrictive, the difference is clear. In 1987, Britain experienced fewer deaths as a result of gunfire than just the city of Washington alone, despite having 100 times the population. Furthermore, several studies reflect that crimes involving weapons other than firearms are less likely to end in death than those involving firearms.

The evidence is clear--fewer guns in the hands of the public mean fewer deaths. Since licensing laws and waiting periods have been proven ineffective, it is time for America to end its production and sale of firearms and start removing them from our society altogether.

ERIC M. WILCOX

La Jolla