Guns carried for safety, and they work

According to Sarah Hall (March 6 letter), the only reason to carry a gun is the intention to harm or kill another person. That's the most absurd logic I've ever read. I wonder what led her to that conclusion or what utopian society she used to live in because it's obviously not the “real world” the rest of us live in.

First, annual statistics reported by the FBI show that the nation's violent crime rate has been cut more than a third during the last two decades, down to a 35-year low. That drop happened during a period when many restrictions on buying and carrying guns were eliminated at the federal, state and local levels, with the exception, of course, of New York, which has the most Draconian gun laws in the country, yet its violent crime rate escalates every year.

Second, criminals and mental deficients don't care about laws, they don't apply to them. However, a lot of criminals aren't nearly as brave when they don't know if their next target may be armed.

Third, there aren't enough cops to guarantee everyone's safety now, let alone with the looming budget shortfalls we're all facing. In most crisis situations, when seconds count, the police are minutes away.

Richard D. Hobbs

Iowa City