I read your cover story about the history of the National Rifle Association [“Gunsmoke,” Jan. 24, City Weekly] with mild amusement. It was quite one-sided in describing how the NRA has modified its views over the years.

What it failed to address was that the opposition to gun ownership has also changed over the years. It isn’t measures like universal background checks that we object to. It’s what they inevitably lead to.

When those who want gun laws say they want compromise, what they really want is capitulation. They haven’t given the other side anything in return in decades, if ever. It’s just another inch toward registration, ban and confiscation. The attitude of the NRA and gun owners has changed because it has become evident that those who want “reasonable gun-control measures” don’t want to stop there. Every time we give them something, they come back wanting more.

MICHAEL L. JOHNSON
NRA-certified pistol instructor & Utah concealed carry instructor
Stansbury Park