To the editor:

First off, there are no "assault weapons" out there. That term was first coined back in 1984 by an anti-firearm group calling themselves Handgun Control, Inc., and the term was adopted by the media to help sow confusion and hide the truth from uneducated readers in the hope they would fall into the ranks of those who want to ban nearly every contraption that moves lead out of a tube. It worked, apparently, as most now accept the term "assault weapon" as describing nearly every gun in the world, according to the absurd descriptors used to include them into this fabricated category of firearms.

Gun control advocates have become so dedicated to removing all firearms from the world they've managed to include the most commonly owned types of rifles and handguns and placed them into the "evil" category — so much in fact that one of my .22 pistols, clearly laser engraved upon the barrel with the words ".22 TARGET”, is considered by them as an assault weapon. Yeah, I've "killed" a lot of paper with it at the range. Another example of their twisting fact: my daughter owns a pellet gun, which by their definition would make her a felon, because it has some features via which she must "want to kill a lot of people, quickly" Nope. It's simply something she enjoys shooting soda cans with in the back yard because it's fun.

One question I have: Since there are well over 20 million AR-15 rifles, not counting the millions upon millions upon millions of other firearms currently owned in the U.S., how is it that you're able to walk out the door and not be "assaulted" immediately? Well, that's because guns are not the problem, it's the people who want to deny you your God-given rights who should worry you.

Knives are the number one tool used to kill humans. I'm thinking no one should be allowed to own a kitchen drawer capable of holding more than 10 butter knives!

The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan said "You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts." True. But you are allowed to manipulate the facts in such a manner toward whatever goal you pursue, and omitting certain facts along the way can certainly boost the appearance that you are being truthful in the process.

I find it interesting that our highly anti-gun governor chose to bury his latest attempt at gun control deep within the state budget, instead of allowing it to stand on its own merits as stand alone legislation. Most likely because that is the sort of tactic used by those who are afraid they might fail against those who believe in our Constitution.

Pete Tower
Greenway Drive