In response to the Washington Post editorial “The danger of adding lax gun laws to the mix” in the Jan. 5 edition of Stars and Stripes: Was the author daydreaming when preparing this editorial?

I find it disturbing that the conclusion to this story is “blame guns and gun laws” for the acts of a mentally ill and deranged individual. Maybe Washington state should make murder illegal. Oh wait, it is!

The only people who adhere to laws are law-abiding citizens. If a person is dead set on possessing a firearm, he or she will, legal or not. Making it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to arm and defend themselves is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.

If [alleged park ranger killer Benjamin Colton] Barnes’ ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him, citing that he had weapons and may use them to harm her or their child, the law enforcement agency involved dropped the ball. Under Title 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(8) his right to bear arms was suspended as soon as he was served, and his weapons should have been confiscated.

It is a terrible situation, and my heart goes out to the families hurt by this tragedy. At the same time, I ask that we enforce the laws we already have, not create more of a political and legal bureaucracy that only penalizes law-abiding citizens.