Why are there so many customers for illegal guns & drugs?

To the editor,

Joe was a Navy Corpsman. A good friend who saw so much combat that he was often cautious in making friends with any of the Marines he so valiantly served with. I once saw him shield a wounded North Vietnamese soldier with his own body in the heat of battle. Then treat his wounds. I owe him much for saving my life when I was wounded.

I spent over 28 years attempting to track down Joe and talk about old times and thank him. "You would not have been able to find me". He said. The reason was that he had been in U.S. Customs and had no listing of his telephone number.

When Joe returned to the states and left the Navy he became a police officer. While on patrol one day he was dispatched to a bank robbery in process. The robber didn't hesitate to shoot at Joe, who in turn did not flinch but took aim and shot the gunman. His training and combat experience had saved his life, his partners life and any who might have gotten in the way. This is what police officers do. Joe later was hired by U.S.Customs.

Joe shared this with me:"While serving in U.S.Customs we inspected a Chinese cargo ship and opened a cargo container and it was loaded with AK-47's destined for the gangs of L.A." He went on to tell me that President Clinton was upset, not about the rifles but about the surprise inspection.

The AK-47 rifle has been around for a long time. I have shot a few. and have been shot at by them. The bullet is .30 caliber and has great penetrating capabilities. It has a high rate of fire and its durability is unsurpassed by any other weapon. While the M-16 shoots a .223 caliber bullet and often jammed in combat while the communist rifle was dependable even following days and weeks of exposure to heavy wet monsoons. How many of these rifles are being carried by gang members throughout the country? How many other weapons and explosives might be floating among those who have no respect of the law? That's why we call them outlaws.

Remember, one cargo container equaled one shipment of guns destined for a gang. If we cannot stop the flow of drugs into this country how can we stop the shipments of illegal assault weapons that places them in the hands of a violent subculture. Both have customers. Where do the customers originate? Broken homes would be a good place to start. During the 50s, television networks aired a public announcement titled, "The Family that Prays Together Stays Together". This is an interesting equation that might cause the godless to turn red and dribble all over themselves.

Gene F. Danforth

Danbury