Bill would punish those here legally
Since when do people who come to this country illegally have the right to protest U.S. immigration law? The current proposal by Congress would allow them to stay in the U.S. without penalty and the right to earn citizenship. This is amnesty.
It took me 10 years and $8,000 of legal fees to get my stepson to the U.S. from the Philippines, and after 15 years I'm still working on getting my two other stepsons here.
Mexicans here illegally will be rewarded for breaking U.S. law and those who have obeyed the law are being penalized.
This is unfair to those immigrants who obey the law.
CLARENCE HONKALA
Glendale
Civil liberties must prevail in U.S.
I read Jack Adelman's Community Commentary ("Close loopholes in weapons sale laws," April 1). I have great respect for Adelman's well-written argument. It was well composed and gave me the feeling that he really does care about our 2nd Amendment rights.
The National Rifle Assn. has no need to compromise on gun-control issues.
The laws can be changed if only the population cares to elect officials who would change the current laws.
I have spoken to several people who would like all guns banned and feel that the 2nd Amendment was a mistake on our forefathers' part.
As several of them told me, even if they have to ban one type of gun at a time until we have them abolished it is better than nothing.
It is obvious that gun-control enthusiasts have that strategy in mind and the National Rifle Assn. is not having any of this strategy.
As for ballistic fingerprinting to solve crimes, I disagree. Having a family member in crime scene forensics with the county sheriff's department has led me to believe this would have some but little crime-solving potential. For, you see, it is under the misconception that criminals go into a store and buy the guns they use for crimes.
Without any criminal savvy, I would know better than to buy a gun and then go use it in a robbery if the gun could be traced back to me. In fact, give me $800 and I will drive less than three hours away into Mexico and purchase undocumented guns.
If Adelman really wants results then why track a store-bought gun?
Just track the individual. How about a mandatory DNA registry with every newborn ? a huge data base of all individuals born in the United States of America? The forensics on the gun is much more useful than the weapon itself. Knowing who bought a gun does not tell you who fired the gun.
