An Anonymous North Carolina Reader [Email him]

Since there is discussion about this case being used to show the need for tougher gun laws, I must point out that the Charleston church shooter did not legally purchase the firearm he used in the crime.

It was a gift from his father, who is arguably guilty under Federal law of making an illegal "straw purchase." Normally, it is not illegal to purchase a firearm as a gift; in this case, though, the recipient of the gift is prohibited from owning a firearm.

Among other items which disqualify a person from owning a firearm, the law prohibits purchase of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.

The church shooter was arrested in April for trespassing and possession of narcotics. Earlier he had been arrested for possession of cocaine, methamphetamine and LSD.

Obviously, gun laws do nothing to stop actual criminals from getting guns. They are only an impediment to law-abiding citizens. The addition of more gun laws merely disarms the victims, not the perpetrators, of crime.

James Fulford writes: Two years ago, I gave a speech called Gun Control—Like Immigration Law, Enforced Only Against Those Who Obey It, which makes the same point. I would also point out that the laws allowing people who are either crazy or mentally deficient to avoid being executed take away from the deterrent effect of capital punishment, as does the lengthy delay in executing criminals.