The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995                TAG: 9508180005
SECTION: COMMENTARY               PAGE: J4   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   33 lines

GUN LAWS INFRINGE RIGHTS

In response to your Aug. 8 editorial ``One law is working - Guns under control'': your liberal agenda is showing again. In praise of our ``one-gun-a-month'' law you stated that the number of illegal guns in the northeast that came from Virginia reduced from 35 percent to 16 percent.

Do you really think a bleeding victim cares where the gun came from? You admitted that the ``criminals in the northeast may have as many guns as ever.'' Please remember that the four largest U.S. gun manufacturers are in the northeast, therefore nearly all domestic guns are sold in the northeast!

That fact provides just as much comfort to the victims and just as little threat to the criminal as does your 35 percent versus 16 percent fact, but my fact does not:

1. Require a government bureaucracy;

2. Cost the taxpayer money;

3. Increase paper work at all levels;

4. Infringe upon the rights of honest taxpaying citizens.

Apparently we agree on one fact: A man with a gun is a citizen, a man without a gun is a subject.

GEORGE BEN BOBB JR.

Virginia Beach, Aug. 8, 1885 by CNB