Letters

THE ATLANTA MASSACRE

"It's amazing to me that citizens of the so-called land of the free must live their lives in constant fear of gun violence." ADRIA WINFIELD Timisoara, Romania

We seem to have concluded that securities day trader Mark Barton's murderous rampage was due to his financial losses [THE ATLANTA MASSACRE, Aug. 9]. But that's probably as wrong as the assumption that the Internet or rock music compels kids to go gunning. America clearly accepts violence as normal behavior, both in entertainment and as a way to resolve conflict. Don't expect a decline in mass killings until there is lower attendance at bloody ice-hockey games and action movies. GEORGE BOHMFALK Texarkana, Texas

Any decent person who doesn't own a firearm for self-preservation in today's "violence solves all" society is either a fool or a coward. JOE MONSTWILLO St. Louis, Mo.

After Barton's killing spree some National Rifle Association members protested that one isolated shooting incident does not justify taking away guns from good, law-abiding citizens. But they miss the point. We don't mind if good, law-abiding citizens keep guns for their self-protection, hunting and total commitment to constitutional rights. But we want to keep guns away from children, criminal lunatics and other undesirable or dangerous elements. Then why would anyone oppose gun control? Tough gun control can benefit all, including the N.R.A. BEN H. KIM Chicago

The tragedies in Atlanta and at Columbine High School in Colorado provide useful lessons. No gun-control law can prevent criminals from obtaining deadly weapons. If not a gun, a homemade bomb, hammer or ax will suffice. And new antiterrorist police, who seldom intervene before a bloody rampage is over, cannot protect people. Had a single would-be target or bystander been carrying a "cheap" concealed handgun, these attackers might have been stopped sooner. Legitimate gun owners see beyond the thinly veiled attempt to first demonize, then criminalize all gun ownership. God help us when only the police have the right to keep and bear arms. STEPHEN W. BORRON Paris

At the core of all the gun evils are the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. When will the U.S. finally realize that selling a gun to everyone as if it were a roll of toilet paper is the cause of all the horror? JENS KURNER Regensburg, Germany

To many Americans, the right to carry guns is more important than the Bible. However, the Constitution's Amendments, like any other documents created by man, can be altered. How many more lives must be wasted before common sense prevails? MICHAEL SKRZYPCZAK Burlington, Ont.

GET RID OF 'EM?

Congratulations to Roger Rosenblatt for speaking the unspeakable and asking for the elimination of all handguns [THE ATLANTA MASSACRE, Aug. 9]. The grass-roots movement has begun. Thanks, Roger, for your courage. RAYMOND C. HOLTZ Covington, Ky.

Unlike some, I prefer my Bill of Rights intact. I don't own a gun; I don't want a gun. But the day the government tries to ban guns is the day I buy 10. HIAWATHA BRAY Quincy, Mass.

Surely a man as intelligent as Rosenblatt must realize there is no way of getting rid of handguns short of America's becoming a police state. Americans should be embracing guns. High schools in all 50 states should give elective courses on weapons safety and gun laws. FRED S. LOEPER Sendai, Japan

POLLS ON GUN LAWS

Rosenblatt guesses that the majority of Americans favor gun control and are ready to banish guns. But that is contrary to the evidence of some polls. A Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll that has tracked the issue since 1990 found that in June 1999, only 62% of Americans favored stricter gun laws, compared with 78% in 1990. And a Gallup poll found that the percentage of people who believe the government should ban civilian handgun possession has fallen from 41% in 1981 to 38% in 1999. Perhaps a growing number of Americans have begun to realize gun-control laws do not make people safer. H. STERLING BURNETT NICOLE SCHIERECK National Center for Policy Analysis Dallas

NO SPRAYING IN BOLIVIA

Your article "A Carpet Of Cocaine" says that most of the cocaine that reaches the U.S. is from Colombia partly because of "the success of U.S. aerial spraying in Bolivia and Peru" [WORLD, Aug. 9]. It is important to clarify that coca eradication in Bolivia is done by manual means and not through the spraying of chemical defoliants. The use of herbicides or any other chemical agent is strictly prohibited under Bolivian law in order to preserve the ecological balance. No spraying of any sort is done in Bolivia in connection with coca eradication. MARCELO PEREZ-MONASTERIOS Ambassador, Embassy of Bolivia Washington

PENNY PINCHING

Your columnist Daniel Kadlec suggests we eliminate the penny [PERSONAL TIME: YOUR MONEY, Aug. 9]. I think not! Having grown up during the Great Depression, I have a great respect for money, even the lowly cent. My supermarket has mechanical ponies that children can ride for a penny. If the penny is gone, who's going to worry about the kids? And with no penny, won't postal rates go up in 5[cent] increments? LEONARD HEIFERLING Aurora, Colo.