Editor, The Herald:

I want to congratulate the NRA for coming up with a rational and reasonable plan to help stop gun violence in this country. A national database that can be used to screen potential gun owners for mental health problems is a great idea. And it is such a short step to add all felons to this database since we already have that information. Of course this will only work if all the loopholes are closed and everyone who sells guns is obliged to do a proper background check. That is why I am so impressed that the NRA is supporting this. It is a step forward in the right direction. No it will not stop all our problems, but nothing is going to completely prevent our gun violence problem. But it is a step forward. Yes it will create a waiting period and that is inconvenient, but it's time we distinguish between inconvenience and infringement.

The ban on violent video games is a little harder to agree with. Our society is certainly a violent one, but if you're going to seriously address this issue you have to include everything. Not only movies and games, but also news organizations will have to be censored. Will you ban all news coverage of gun violence – I think it's obvious it triggers additional violence. Will you ban Fox News for their constant barrage of anti-government rhetoric? Certainly their unending insistence that the present administration is going to 'take our guns' is creating a situation where their most avid adherents might find themselves categorized as paranoid and enrolled in that very mental health database that will prevent them from buying a gun. Just saying. And what about MSNBC – do we shut them down for their insistence that all guns should be banned and hey let's sue the bullet manufacturers, too? Do we really want to infringe on our First Amendment rights to protect our Second?

The bottom line is we can't prevent all gun violence. Some people who should not own guns are going to find them. For instance – I should not own a gun, but there is nothing to stop me from doing so. Fortunately I realize I would be one of those idiots that end up shooting themselves in the foot like the idiots you are seeing now at various gun rallies. They are making responsible gun owners look like morons and really does anybody want to defend their Second Amendment rights?

Let's keep the dialogue going and pray that common sense prevails.

Susan Estes

Farmville