To the Editor:

Kudos to Bill Wilcox last week, pointing out the dangers that would be brought on by Barack Obama’s programs to steal the guns from law-abiding citizens and shut down gun manufacturing and dealers.

But let’s take it a step further so the public will understand exactly what is at stake here. It bothers me that during the political campaigning, that there has been very little discussion on the ramifications.

First of all, only the honest law-abiding citizens would be the ones affected. The gangs, thieves, crooks, mobs and all the other illegals would still have their guns. They are not going to turn them in. Anyone with half a brain knows that. So we are defenseless and they are not.

But that is not the half of it. Obama talks about creating jobs and putting people back to work to strengthen our economy. Well, he is talking out of the other side of his mouth. Putting gun manufacturers out of business and stealing everyone’s guns would be a terrific blow to the job market and the economy. He also doesn’t like hunting and that will go with the guns. So people will be out of work in the gun business, guiding and outfitting business, restaurants, gas stations, motels, bed and breakfast business, sporting goods business, camping gear business, camp trailers, motor homes, as well as the people who make and sell all the knickknacks that hunters think they have to have. The shooting accessory business alone is a multibillion dollar business.

A lot of landowners run hunting camps as part of their livelihood and without guns to hunt with, there would be no hunters to require the services of the vast number of people who rely on these very hunters to make a living. Not only that, but hunters contribute millions of dollars to habitat development and maintenance and improvement; anti-hunters contribute nothing. The excise taxes on the millions of dollars’ worth of hunting and camping gear that are purchased every year, are distributed every year for worthwhile outdoor projects and the jobs that go with all this would be lost.

It all starts with the guns that law-abiding citizens use in a law-abiding manner for self defense and recreation. It amounts to millions and we can’t afford to lose this huge part of our economy.

Banning guns is not the answer. Only the innocent get hurt.

Dean Elliott

Canyon City