I am a 60-year Republican, 12-year independent voter, waiting for the real Republican Party to come back.

I object to military weapons and equipment in the hands of non-military or non-law enforcement civilians for the following reasons:

I reject the reference to the Second Amendment as the “Right to Bear Arms” by civilians.

The Second Amendment was necessary at that time to allow civilians to form a militia, because we had no U.S. National Military, no U.S. National Guard, no state police, no sheriff’s department, no local police and no private security agencies as we have here in Fountain Hills today!

I am not a gun owner, but I have no objection the civilians having the appropriate guns and equipment for hunting, recreational shooting or for personal safety, but not military guns and equipment. Actually, I really enjoyed shooting skeet as part of my training as an aircrewman in a U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare patrol plane.

I know a pediatric nurse who told of a father who had a loaded gun by his bed (no objection) which he showed his 7-year-old son and told him “do not touch this gun.” (Objection.) Being a young boy, he showed the gun to his buddy. The gun went off, striking his buddy in the forehead. Luckily, the bullet passed between the two lobes of his brain and was not fatal; however, was damaging. When the police questioned the father, he said “I told him not to touch the gun.”

Insanity!