To the Editor: BG man not opposed to guns, just wants less gun violence

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I have never ever opposed the right to bear arms. As a former attorney specialized in
Constitutional and International Law I am aware of the sanctity of the Second Amendment.I thank Mr. Phillips
for his concern for my safety and agree with his facts. As a researcher for over 30 years involved in
empirical work, I have some idea of what statistics can offer. We can consider facts in reducing gun
violence from an alternative approach.Dr. Gary Slutkin. an epidemiologist and physician, for ten years
battled infectious diseases in Africa. He says that violence directly mimics such diseases and is a public
health issue.The treatment is likewise, which is to go after the most infected and stop the infection at its
source. He founded in 1995 "Cure Violence" later known as "Cease Fire Inc." an
anti-violence program of the Chicago Project for violence prevention. Its three pronged approach consists
of: detection/interruption of planned violent activity, changing behavior of high risk individuals and
changing community norms.I am sure Mr. Phillips would agree that changing behavior at any price, perhaps
even singing around a camp fire is far better than mutual shoot outs like at OK Corral.There are equally
convincing statistics like that of Mr. Phillips of the success of Cease Fire’s outreach activities in
reducing gun violence in the worst crime areas in Chicago.Similar approaches were adopted in New York and
other major cities. Governor Rod Blagojevich discontinued state funding on Cease Fire’s budget in 1997.How
such efforts have not been pursued and our failure to build a more humane society for our children to grow
up and learn to live with far less reason to reach for the trigger is the basis of all my previous letters.I
appeal to lawful gun owners and the NRA to seriously consider promoting such efforts as "Cease
Fire" across the nation. The bottom line is what kind of society we want our most precious asset to
grow up.No international conference on conflict has begun without appealing for "cease fire". We
want world disarmament. Iran is to give up its nuclear pursuits.Why would anyone want anything different
within the country that is different from the one we want to build outside, spending trillions and
sacrificing the lives of so many of our brave soldiers?V. N. KrishnanBowling Green

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