My father was a responsible gun owner. He used his gun to provide meat for our table. From my earliest memory his unloaded gun stood in an open cabinet in a corner of our living room. A box of shells was on a shelf next to the gun.

Never once did anyone pick up the gun in anger or use it to threaten a stranger who drove into our yard.

The gun was used for hunting only.

I am appalled by actual sportsmen’s lack of concern about the ruination of their reputation. Why are they sitting back and allowing angry, hate-filled erratic people to ruin the reputation of all the responsible gun owners?

Their silence is deafening and it is resonating around the country, affirming that sportsmen condone those senseless acts of violence.

Sportsmen, as a group, should demand background checks to sift out the riffraff that is giving all responsible gun owners a black eye.

My father would be shocked at the irresponsible parents who leave loaded guns lying around so children can kill each other, or people who kill people just because they can.

Responsible gun owners are looking really bad.

Carole Richards, Livermore