Letter: Re: the June 29. article “Local opinion: Domestic violence and guns in Pima County”

Re the column written by Ms. McKasson and Mr. Humphrey: The presence of a gun in any heated situation--and it seems there's always the presence of a gun in Arizona--is certain to end in irreversible tragedy. It's the case with domestic violence, the call police officers hate the most because it so often involves out-of-control emotions and actions. But it is also true of the street fight or road rage episode that ends in shattered lives, simply because a gun negated the possibility of a moment's hesitation or intercession by someone with a cooler head. This country's love affair with firearms is a deep sickness abetted by the "originalists" on the Supreme Court and Republican politicians, flush with money from the gun lobby. Firearms are the leading cause of death among children in the US, a statistic that should shame every one of us.