Tell Us: Gun Ownership and Crime

Two events in the past week in Huntington provoked residents to debate gun ownership again.

A large rally on Saturday brought gun owners out in opposition to restrictions on weapons. Many carried signs reading "I will not comply" or pictured weapons with an invitation to "Come and take it."

Later in the week, after five men, some of them armed, were arrested in an early morning home invasion, some readers indicated that they would have killed the intruders. "All five would be lying in my front lawn with bullet wounds," one person commented. Another wrote, "... If they did break into my home with guns, they would have to be carried out on stretchers, not arrested."

The ability of a homeowner to defend himself in an emergency is a key question in the gun debate. If you are a gun owner, do you think you'd be prepared to respond in a crisis? Are you trained for emergencies?

If you aren't a gun owner, does knowing that your neighbor might be armed and willing to shoot make you feel safer? Have you ever been the victim of a violent crime and does that affect your thinking?

Police say there are 33,320 active pistol licenses in Suffolk County and 96,022 total registered handguns, including those belonging to officers. There is no estimate on unregistered handguns or other weapons.

Please tell us your thoughts.