Keynesian economics, firearms and circuses in today’s letters to the editor.

Pick of the day: Lawmakers who’d flout the law

I am not against gun ownership for law-abiding citizens who hunt or enjoy shooting ranges. But let’s be clear. Assault weapons and clips for multiple rounds are designed for killing people in war, not for use in private homes or public places.

How can they be important for the average citizen? If it’s a right to use assault weapons, can’t they be kept at the shooting range and checked out for target practice?

I feel safe around gun owners who are stable, but not around people who are unstable. How can we be against background checks for gun ownership? How can we be supportive of gun shows and gun salesmen who care only about the money, not about the owner of a deadly weapon?

Finally, what message is Virginia sending when a House committee OKs a bill that would bar state employees from assisting federal gun-control efforts: that if you don’t like a law, it’s OK to ignore it, to flout it? Is that the message we want our citizens to believe in, especially gun owners?

MARGARET W. MOORE

RADFORD