I am shocked to learn about our Pennsylvania Legislature introducing and considering H.B. 659, co-sponsored by state Rep. Doyle Heffley, which intends to remove the necessity for a concealed (gun) carry permit and reduce the minimum age of concealed carry to 18! This proposal is counterproductive to creating a safer community - especially in view of the experience of other states who passed similar legislation and saw a significant increase in aggravated assaults with a firearm and firearm-related suicides among 19- to 24-year-olds.

Somewhere buried in the motivation behind this bad idea seems to be the mindset that true liberty/freedom means we can do whatever we want to do and whenever we want to do it, But history has shown that human society requires mutual trust, rules and norms to survive, and H.B. 659 will only put more guns in the hands of people who exhibit their anger in violent manners.

Allowing and encouraging teenagers, for example, to carry guns does not seem to be sensible or necessary in these times, so we need to contact our legislators and tell them we have experienced enough gun violence.

David thor Straten-Mohr

Lehighton