To the editor:

I write in response to the letter from Jennifer Theriault, RN that was published in the Barrington Times on May 5, 2021. Ms. Theriault indicated that she chose to purchase a firearm in order to keep her family safe “based on facts, logic, and reality” and that she opposes all of the “gun control” bills that are in the Statehouse.  In reading her letter, I wondered if she had educated herself about the common sense gun legislation that is being considered this year: A bill that would prohibit carrying guns in our K-12 schools; a bill that would prohibit high-capacity magazines (greater than 10-rounds); a bill that would regulate the use of assault weapons; a bill that would prohibit straw purchasing; a bill that would require the secure storage of firearms; and a bill that would prohibit open carry of loaded long guns.

Ms. Theriault claimed that this legislation would infringe on her 2nd amendment rights, but there is nothing in these bills that would have prevented her from taking the basic safety course that she chose to take or that would prevent her from purchasing a handgun that she believes will keep her family safer. She argues that these bills are targeting law-abiding citizens and that the “increased violence utilizing guns (mostly by criminals and those with untreated mental illness) is worrisome.” The risks and trauma associated with gun violence in schools (95% of which participate in active-shooter drills); the lethality of mass shootings using high-capacity magazines and assault weapons (where 6 times as many people are shot); and the accidental shootings and death that take place in homes with unsecured weapons are far more than worrisome. As a mental health professional and mother, I would much rather support this legislation than purchase a weapon for my household.

As James and Cameron Todd wrote in their Op-Ed to the Boulder Daily Camera: “The U.S. has far more guns and far more gun injuries (more than 39,000 fatalities per year) than any other developed country. Mass killings, perpetrated with military style weapons…are a dramatic example of just one of the different gun violence epidemics plaguing this country. Although there are multiple causes for these epidemics, the one common factor is the widespread availability of firearms. “Guns keep our homes safe” is a marketing slogan that benefits firearm and ammunition manufacturers and various politicians, but not families. Unsecured guns in the home put our loved ones at tragic risk. Guns do not keep our homes safe.”

While I support Ms. Theriault’s right to responsible gun ownership, I would say to everyone that sensible gun legislation will not infringe on our rights and will keep us safer than owning a firearm ever could.

Cynthia Rosengard, Ph.D., MPH

Barrington