To the Editor:

John Bergen’s response [“Let’s Agree on Common Sense,” The Gazette, Jan. 14] to my letter to the Mount Vernon Gazette about protecting the Second Amendment U.S Constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners is typical of liberals who use whatever means, supportable or not, to support their positions.

Mr. Bergen attempts to divert attention to the real issue of gun violence throughout the U.S. by stating that there is a difference between gun control and common sense gun legislation. That’s a distinction without a distinction. Gun laws restrict and control. Example: When ammunition amounts are limited that gun owners can buy, that’s a restriction and control by those who are responsible for enforcement of the laws.

Mr. Gergen states: “But clearly, common sense gun legislation could stop future tragedies.” Here again talk but no factual support. A lot of things could happen but is it realistic to expect that they will?

Mr. Bergen mentions Northern Virginia’s top three priorities for the current Virginia General Assembly session and asks whether those three would infringe on my rights. One priority is to restrict gun owners from buying more than one gun a month. That infringes on my right by restricting the purchase of guns, and severely restricts the rights of gun collectors. Further, Mr. Bergen doesn’t explain how limiting gun purchases to one a month saves lives. If a law doesn’t save lives, why pass laws that infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law abiding gun owners? Also, my last letter to the editor deals with what is going on throughout the U.S. and the effects on law abiding gun owners Second Amendment rights and not restricted to my rights alone. Here again Mr. Bergen resorts to diversionary tactics instead of dealing with skyrocketing gun violence.

Mr. Bergen should concentrate on the causes of gun violence and work to fix them. Criminals always find ways to get guns regardless of laws. That’s why they are called criminals.

It is naive to believe their common sense gun laws will deter criminals and terrorists bent on killing innocent people. Why punish millions of law abiding gun owners for the acts of criminals and terrorists. Enforcement of laws as Rudy Giuliani did in New York does the job while leaving innocent gun owners alone. Also, quit releasing illegal criminal alien felons in sanctuary cities and terrorists from Gitmo who commit gun violence and are bent on killing Americans. Further, foreign terrorists radicalize persons in the U.S. to kill innocent people as occurred in San Bernadino.

Moreover, certain common sense gun control advocates should stop demonizing police who put their lives on the line daily to protect the innocent from gun violence.

History demonstrates by the skyrocketing gun crimes throughout the U.S. cities that gun laws alone — whether “common sense” or not — infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law abiding gun owners and don’t stop gun violence.

Frank Medico

Mount Vernon