To the editor:

Once again, our nation is faced with yet another gunning down of innocents in Oregon. The brutality of these acts seems to occur every two months or so.

And, once again, politicians are screaming for more gun laws. Why is it, I ask, that the cure-all for any ill among socialists is passing more laws? Don’t those opportunists realize that restrictive legislation usually affects law abiders, not the culprit?

Let us examine a common thread to all of these mass assassinations. All were committed by young men, all who had some sort of mental problems. In most cases, the troubled young man’s mental problems were known to his parents. As an aside, several were from broken homes. Oddly, in a few cases, the parent even had purchased a gun for the trouble youngster.

From this thread of commonality comes the obvious conclusion, and that is the breakdown of the family structure that lies at the bottom. The family ties have become weaker is well known. What is overlooked though is that the family is still the basic unity of mankind. There were families before there were governments. Sadly, in our present society we appear to quickly look to a legal remedy elsewhere, however difficult it may be. We look to the government instead of ourselves. And this is wrong.

To address the problem of gun violence it is my contention that we must turn to the parent — the family for the solution. Regardless of age, a potential criminal is the child of parents.

And so here is what I propose: that not only the perpetrator, but each and every one of his parents should be held equally guilty. Should a shooting crime be committed, not only should the perpetrator be jailed, but also his parents.

After all, they are the ones who brought this person into the world. Responsibility does not end when the offspring reaches the age of 18. The responsibility of parenthood lasts for life and so does parent responsibility. Both blood relatives and the perpetrator should be held equally guilty.

It is a point of view worth considering.

Jim Beales

Laurinburg