Southwest Florida gun owners’ opinions on gun control ran the gamut:

Restrict handguns, AR-15s

“Handguns should not be carried by civilians. They are not a legitimate means of self-defense, which would require years of training to be effective,” wrote Estero resident Bruce Castka, 71. He spent 30 years in the U.S. Army reserves. “It is an embarrassment to me that most of the civilized world has reasonable gun control laws but we must remain a nation of cowboys governed by the tyranny of the NRA.”

No new laws needed

“This country has thousands of gun laws on the books that would, if enforced, reduce somewhat the access to firearms by dangerous or bad people,” wrote David Southall, 73, a retired museum educator of Bonita Springs. “Why not enforce the existing rules fairly and strictly?”

How can we not do something?

“I want the right to bear arms, but I think there should be restrictions,” said Lorna Washington, 54, an early childhood educator and Lehigh Acres resident. “All these people worried about restrictions, How can you look families in the face when somebody goes into a school and takes lives?” 

Targeted solutions

“I believe prevention on the ‘front-lines’ vs. an additional layer of government review, is both more targeted and more cost-effective,” said Jeff Curl, a 48-year-old landscape architect in Naples.  “Why are we reacting to Parkland, instead of the overall state of mental health?”


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