Letter: 57 members of Congress ought to be committed

Help me to understand, good people of Tri-Cities and surrounding area, how the quality of life in the USA has been improved by allowing the mentally ill and unfit to purchase all manner of guns. By a vote of 57-43, members of the Senate, these so-called “intelligent” members of Congress, in conjunction with the NRA, have felt individuals with severe and impaired minds have a right to weaponry.

Several years ago and shortly after 20 students of Sandy Hook Elementary School had been killed by a demented person, Barack Obama thought maybe it’d help if a law were enacted to keep lethal firearms out of the hands of people who couldn’t even qualify for a driver’s license, let alone purchase guns. A background check just might have prevented this tragedy.

However, 57 senators must have felt such citizens of limited mental capacity have been duly deprived. Perhaps with a pistol, rifle, and possibly assault weapons in their hands, their deprived existences might be enriched, despite being somewhat short-circuited.

Does this reversed legislation strike anybody as a winning piece of legislation? Reasonable? Offhand, I’d go so far as to say 57 members of Congress ought to be committed.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 4:37 AM with the headline "Letter: 57 members of Congress ought to be committed."