Recent domestic terror events have put gun violence at the forefront of the news. Many of us are fearful. Some people react by adding to their personal arsenals.

As a mother and grandmother, I am horrified by the number of gun shooting events at schools, shopping malls, and health clinics. I’m disheartened by the lack of action taken by Congress. I’m offended by organizations that oppose sensible gun laws.

I do not oppose all gun ownership. Instead, I support a public health approach to guns, which has been successfully applied to automobiles. Drivers of cars must take training, pass tests, hold liability insurance, obtain a license and registration, and pay fees. Cars have built-in safety features, such as airbags and seatbelts. Car owners are required to take full responsibility for the consequences of unsafe use of their vehicles.

By applying these measures to cars, we’ve vastly reduced auto fatality rates.

Other measures that can be applied to guns, in a similar fashion to automobiles, are: Universal background checks; requiring gun owners to have liability insurance for weapons, “smart gun” technology such as weapons that fire only with a fingerprint or PIN; requiring secure storage of weapons; and prohibitions on gun ownership for those convicted of assault.

Smarter gun laws and policies can’t prevent all shooting deaths, but they can and will reduce them. It’s just common sense: with gun ownership, as with all privileges, comes responsibility.

Abbie Crane

North Bend