Letters to the Editor: I’m a gun owner. Why I support taxing guns and ammo to fund safety programs

To the editor: Columnist George Skelton tells us that a tax on guns and ammunition is a bad thing without, oddly, telling us why. Revenue from the tax would support gun violence prevention. He says money for gun violence prevention should come from the state general fund.

Gun owners are directly responsible for the dearth of gun regulation in this country through their support of the National Rifle Assn. That in turn is responsible for the proliferation of guns, which is highly correlated with the epidemic of gun violence.

Why not tax those who bear responsibility for gun violence to mitigate the damage? Why should non-gun owners pay for damages not of their making?

I own a shotgun, which I occasionally enjoy using to shoot at clay pigeons. I would be happy to pay an additional 11% for shotgun shells knowing that the taxes are going to help prevent gun violence.

George Vine, La Cañada Flintridge

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To the editor: If Skelton had attended the funeral of one of the 60 people killed in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, maybe he would understand why many of us in California do not think Gov. Gavin Newsom should veto Assembly Bill 28, which would levy an 11% excise tax on firearm and ammunition sales.

Many Californians worked hard this legislative session, calling and writing our representatives in Sacramento and even showing up to the Capitol to voice our support for a bill that, sadly, only begins to address gun violence.

According to research by Everytown for Gun Safety, gun violence costs American taxpayers $12.6 billion annually. This doesn’t account for quality-of-life costs, which I can tell you — having watched a grieving father speak during the packed memorial service for his daughter, who was killed in Las Vegas — can never be quantified.

Sometimes, to “prioritize spending,” as Skelton says, our Legislature must impose a tax. And this one should be levied against the industries directly responsible for the deadly harm caused by their products.

Sarah Vogel, Laguna Beach