Don't interfere with my rights

I just finished reading Jim Wood's letter “Basic principles for gun owners.” I found it idiosyncratic that he would quote from the Declaration of Independence, but yet he wants to stomp on the Bill of Rights.

To me his letter reads “victim here, victim here.” I choose not to be a victim, as guaranteed to me by the Second Amendment.

I find it particularly odd that he would compare smoking to our Constitution. While I have curtailed my smoking (sort of), there are several members-only organizations in town that still allow smoking in their bar area. Most members of these organizations are God-fearing, U.S. Constitution believing Americans. That is because they also deserve to pursue their life, liberty and happiness.

Just as he has no right to ask me not to smoke in a private club, he has absolutely no right to ask me not to carry a gun. He has no right to interfere with my life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I'm a responsible gun owner. Yes, I have 4 juvenile delinquents in the house all under the age of 10, but they are four-legged felines. If you come to the house and try to pick up one of them up, they will claw you down to the bone, but I'm not going to declaw them just because he isn't happy about it.

Wood asks why a single woman needs an assault rifle and considers it a luxury at 50 cents a shot and says it is useless for home security. I sleep better at night knowing protection is right at my bedside ready to go. Any problems in my home and the intruder would only wish he had tried to pick up one of the cats.

I don't want to end this letter with Wood feeling like a victim, so I can offer you him one of my cats on loan for a year. Two cans of wet food a day is all they require for their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. It might be right up your alley (cat).

Gail Smith

Yuma