Rifle Registration

* Re “Violent Crime in U.S. Down Again,” Aug. 28: Pre-Y2K gun sales soar, but violent crime plummets 10.4%. Yet the Democrats in Sacramento want to register my rifle. I have only one question: Why? More people drown in buckets each year than are killed by semiautomatic military-style rifles. Obviously, registration is a precursor to confiscation.

The founding fathers were quite clear--the citizenry is to remain armed and vigilant. Since 60 million people were killed by their own governments last century (remember Yugoslavia in the 1990s?), their vision is as valid today as it was 200 years ago. We take our hard-earned rights so much for granted today we are at risk of losing them all.

JIM SORENSEN

Fountain Valley