Gun ownership is certainly a right, but it must be practiced responsibly. In his Dec. 23 letter, David Shanks reasons that the reporting of lost or stolen guns isn't the answer because it may be weeks or months before he knows the gun is missing. This kind of careless oversight would seem to be the exact reason such a requirement would be necessary. Everyone who owns a gun should know where it is at all times. If it is stolen or lost, reporting this, even belatedly, still seems reasonable. Not knowing the status of your deadly weapon for months at a time is exactly a prescription for tragedy involving children or other innocent citizens.

Ed Locke

Indianapolis