After reading the Eugene Robinson’s emotional March 3 column, “A grieving fathers plea,” I did some research in the FBI statistical database. After reading the actual data, I am disappointed at the lack of accurate information given regarding the impact of military-styled rifles. Based on the effort expended by the media and national editorialists, one could conclude that semi-automatic rifles are an enormous problem and used in a large percentage of homicides. That is simply not the truth; according to FBI statistics, in 2011, out of 14,612 total homicides, 323 murders were committed in the United States with rifles of all types.

That number includes, single shot, bolt action and semi-automatic rifles. Locally, in the state of Washington, out of 79 gun-related homicides, one homicide was attributable to a rifle. This is hardly the epidemic that the media is implying. In fact, nine times as many people were murdered by “blunt force” trauma and knives in 2011 than were killed by rifles.

An examination of the FBI statistics would reveal that gang activity is responsible for 48 percent of the violent crime in the United States. Additionally, the most heinous of our crimes have been committed by mentally ill, deranged individuals. Until we address these two issues in particular, simply adopting “feel good” gun restrictions will have no actual effect on the level of gun violence in American society.

Our elected federal and local government leaders would be more productive if they looked at the facts and addressed these issues and the related violence they both engender. Policies that make positive impacts in these areas would have a long and lasting effect on the safety of Americans nationwide.

Todd Croteau

Mill Creek