The editorial cartoon in The Citizen [Sept. 1] asked what people would likely be thinking if a crazed gunman invaded their workplace.

“A. Clearly, this person lacks problem-solving skills.

“B. What we need are more gun control laws!

“C. I wish I had a gun.”

Okay, let's suppose there is a very real possibility that a crazed gunman will invade your workplace with revenge on his mind. (There's not, but let's say there is.) This time, though, all the smart citizens have purchased guns for self-protection. Since everyone knows that half the people around them are idiots, only half the adult population is packing heat. And smart people know that a gun is only useful for self-protection if it's loaded and ready to fire. You have to be prepared for anything! Let's see what happens now when that crazy gunman dares to enter!

There he is, bursting through the door, spraying bullets with his semiautomatic. Darn, he got some people already, but many are digging through their purses and unsnapping holsters, some coming from behind and others popping up from under their desks. Let the shoot-out begin!

When the smoke clears, thankfully, the gunman is dead. But so are others. Unfortunately, ballistics investigators have found that a couple of the dead are from coworkers' bullets. But that's okay, right? Who knows how many would have been killed if we had to wait for the gunman to kill himself?

The protectors who survived though are now being investigated by police and sued by the families of those slain in the shoot-out. Throughout all this, the country becomes divided over who the real bad guys were in this situation.

Of course all those idiots who are for gun control aren't recognizing how those people who used their weapons justifiably for self-protection are truly heroes. I guess they'll never get it.

Come on, folks. Do we really want more people carrying loaded guns? Ask a police officer you know.

I'm sure there are crack shots out there with level heads who would not likely be a risk to others with their guns; who keep them safe from kids and from those who would steal the weapon from them; who would never get so angry they'd use them on a spouse or family member, or mistakenly on a teenager playing a prank in their front yard or on themselves. But many of us are not so careful, so levelheaded or so lucky.

It's a numbers game, people. As the number of guns carried increases, so do accidental deaths by guns. And the number of people killed by crazed gunmen? A mere fraction of those accidentally shot by supposedly sane people. Buying a gun may give you some peace of mind, but it sure doesn't give me any.

As for the first question, my answer might be:

D: God, let's hope there's only one crazy gunman here.

Melissa Hamilton
Peachtree City

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