To the editor:

Last year, the Rhode Island general assembly enacted significant laws that limit gun cartridge capacity, raise the age limit for owning riffles to 21 and prohibit the carry of loaded rifles and shotguns in public. These rationale gun control measures will make our community safer, and we are thankful.

We, as citizens, should actively demand that the legislature ban assault rifles which are military grade weapons and involved in most mass shootings. We are asking for your personal action to contact your representative, senator, and our attorney general and governor. Demand that they take this action.

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the tragedy in Sandy Hook, Ct. Twenty-six beautiful and innocent lives were lost that day as the result of a disturbed teen with an assault rifle. Twenty children who would today be in high school and six teachers who would be parents or grandparents themselves perished. Families who would be happily preparing for the holidays still are not and a community remains forever in grief.

Unfortunately, not enough has been done protect us since that tragic day. Gun violence has increased markedly. It is now the leading cause of death of children and teens in our country. More than disease, traffic accidents, more than any other cause, period.

Take a moment to think about that!

The false notion that this could not happen in our community, is wrong. Newtown was every bit as much a Norman Rockwell town, with a huge flagpole in the center of Main Street across from the general store, town green and churches. We lived there and we thought that way. We now know better.

As Bristolians we treasure our civic and religious gatherings and rightfully expect our schools to be safe. We would not think about driving without a seatbelt and here school buses have a safety spotter. Still, our state laws allow people to own assault rifles, a military weapon designed to kill humans, putting us at risk when we attend 4th of July or holiday celebrations, church, or send our children to school.

We have read disturbing letters to the editor of this paper defending unchecked gun rights with some writers claiming that guns don’t kill and that they have a God given right to assault rifles. They are saying that their individual rights are more important than our common right to live safely, free of the threat of violence, that our liberty is subordinate to their self-serving need for military weapons. They are wrong and would not be parroting the NRA’s false narratives if their children, grandchildren, or neighbors were in Sandy Hook.

Democracy can work, and positive change can be achieved through your actions.

Please take 15 minutes now to write to your state representative, senator, and our attorney general and governor thanking them for their support in 2022 but demanding that they adopt legislation to ban assault rifles in 2023.

It may be the best gift that you give to your family this year.

Steve & Kathy Kloeblen
693 Hope Street
Bristol