I am a gun owner, hunter, concealed weapons permit holder and physician.

I have read the recent letters to the editor regarding gun-related issues. Common sense and logic is sometimes lost in our discussions. Being able to provide first aid to an injured individual in a car accident is significantly different from firing a firearm in a public place full of people for whatever reason. When you attend to an injured person no one is at risk, except perhaps the person you are trying to help. An 18-year-old high school student or even a trained individual firing a firearm in a building full of people can place many individuals at additional risk for significant injury.

As always, our goal should be prevention of potential risk and injury. To prevent automobile accident injuries we require stringent, consistent user screening, training, licensure; road and automobile safety guidelines; multiple methods of monitoring and specific penalties by law enforcement, etc. Similar appropriate regulations and monitoring for gun ownership and use are not required.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017 data, shows gun-related deaths were 12.2 per 100,000, which surpassed the automobile-related death rate of 11.9 per 100,000. Over the last 15 years, automobile death rates have steadily fallen and gun death rates have steadily increased.

We can’t continue to delay frank public safety discussions and policy decisions and laws focusing on prevention of gun related incidents and just continue to respond by encouraging potentially increasingly risky behaviors.?

BILL MILLER

Coeur d’Alene