Time to institute effective gun control

To the editor:

Regardless of how Gov. Terry Branstad wishes to frame it, he has taken the right stance on keeping guns out of Iowa schools. Such arming in the presence of little ones teaches them that adults have given up on the civilization that nihilistic terrorists are attempting to frighten us into destroying by rending asunder the societal fabric that differs mankind from the beasts of prey that lurked the primeval jungle willingly killing its own kind. More guns and guns everywhere ensures that fear is but a trigger finger away and the promotion of such is what terrorism is all about.

In place of spreading instruments of violence, our nation needs to institute gun control that is as effective as in lands that in an entire year do not suffer the ghastly number of gun tragedies that we in Iowa alone suffer in a matter of minutes that daily gets reported on the nightly news - enough of this insanity is enough. Best have faith in law and order in place of being so into the grip of fear that everyone must go armed as a law unto one's self. Faith in law and order finds root in nothing more than common valor in place of cowering fear of what might lurk under one's own bed and that which surely sits on every bench in the public park. As Shakespeare noted long ago: 'Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”

Sam Osborne

West Branch