January 20

Convenient gun makes suicide an easier choice

Letter to the Editor

I would like to thank Ronald Slicer for his response to my question whether fewer guns would mean fewer deaths (letter, "Banning cars makes more sense than banning guns," Jan. 11).

It is important to discuss this issue. Of course, my question was absurdly simple: There are many ways to cause death and always have been.

Further to the issue, however, I was struck, reading Science (Dec. 21) about long-term dangers of traumatic brain injury that show they cause little abnormality on an MRI or CT scan but later have effects ranging from irritability to rage and dementia (p.1556).

The NFL is facing nearly 4,000 lawsuits from ex-players. So many have committed suicide that safety concerns now extend to pee-wee football programs.

The number of traumatic brain injury cases is termed "an epidemic."

I was reminded of the prevalence of depression in adolescents and returning veterans.

Yes, they can kill themselves in a variety of ways. If a person has access to a gun, however, and has had a concussion or been depressed, the gun makes suicide a somewhat easier choice.

Perhaps I will stick with my simplistic hypothesis: Fewer guns might mean fewer deaths.

Persons I know who do not want to give up their guns say they would do so immediately if it would prevent a death.

Marian Schmidt

Rome

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