How many mass killings must there be before people realize that "gun-free zone = helpless victim zone"?

Incidents of mass murder have been reduced in the U.S. by about 40 percent over the last 20 years. Thirty-eight of 61 mass shooters in the last 30 years exhibited signs of mental-health problems before the killings. Prior to Newtown, the worst K-12 shootings in the world had taken place in Britain and Germany, which have much stricter gun laws than the United States.

With the exception of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, every public shooting where more than three persons died since 1950 has taken place where guns are not allowed. Think about that.

The Cinemark Theater attack evidence shows that the night that occurred there were seven theaters showing the Batman movie within a 20-minutes drive of the shooter's home. Cinemark was not the closest. But it was the only one with signs posted banning guns even by holders of individuals with concealed-carry permits. The other six allowed concealed-carry permit holders to carry.

Now at least one other has changed and posted similar signs. These zones give some a false feeling of security but advertise to criminals and the criminally insane that this is a soft target.

Someone who will already ignore laws against murder and risk life imprisonment or capital punishment will not say, "Wait a minute, I cannot violate that new gun law; therefore, I will not commit the act I was contemplating."

James Smith

Ruther Glen