To the editor:

"Thoughts And Prayers". I never thought the day would come when that phrase would fill me with so much anger, but after the horrific shooting massacre which took place at an elementary school in Texas last week, I have finally reached the point where I'm completely sick and tired of hearing elected officials sending "thoughts and prayers" to the families of those who were slaughtered, instead of taking action on the problem.

Unfortunately, many Bristolians have the attitude that the shooting massacre which occurred in Texas last week was miles away from Bristol and was not relevant to the town, but keep in mind, Uvalde, Texas and Bristol are very similar in size and population, and the residents there most certainly thought a heinous crime like that would never happen in their quiet town. And while I put the vast majority of blame for these mass shootings on conservative Republican politicians who are bought and owned by the NRA and gun manufacturers, and who refuse to pass stricter gun control legislation, the epidemic of mass shootings in our country is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike.

There's no question that it's long past time for Congress to pass stricter federal gun control laws, but the US Senate and House of Representatives are so deeply divided that I have little to no hope of meaningful gun control legislation coming any time soon, and that leaves Rhode Island with only one viable option at the present time, and that's enacting strict gun control legislation at the statewide level.

With the exception of a few members, the Rhode Island House and Senate have the votes needed to pass strict gun control legislation which should include a complete ban on the purchase, possession, or use of high-capacity military style assault weapons. These weapons of war are designed for one thing and one thing only — their ability to kill the greatest number of humans in the shortest amount of time. They have no use in sport shooting or hunting, and their use should be restricted to only the military. And until laws are passed to outlaw these killing machines, it's just a matter of time before the next deranged individual perpetrates another massacre using an assault weapon, and we're forced to hear the empty phrase that makes me sick — “Thoughts And Prayers".

Mike Proto
245 Chestnut St.