I am ashamed to find out that the U.S. Senate has voted to oppose minimal, common-sense gun control legislation ("Defeat leaves gun control backers at a loss for strategy," April 19).
Thankfully, both of our Maryland senators supported these measures, while 46 senators, including 90 percent of Republicans, opposed requiring criminal background checks on sales at gun shows and online.
Even more elected officials opposed banning assault weapons or large-scale ammunition magazines. Most shockingly, 57 of elected officials voted to allow a person who receives a "right to concealed carry" license in rural Wyoming or Texas to carry a concealed weapon in downtown Washington or Baltimore.
This is the height of insanity. Those opposed to the legislation said it wouldn't stop a criminal from getting a gun. But Newtown, Conn., school shooter Adam Lanza was not a criminal. His mother had legally purchased the weapons he used.
We know how to eliminate such mass shootings: Outlaw assault weapons and large ammunition clips.
The most disturbing votes were those of the so-called moderates, who showed they are really extremists willing to do whatever the NRA says. Senators Mark Warner of Virginia and Joe Manchin of West Virginia both voted against the assault weapons and high-capacity magazine bans, and for the right-to-carry provision.
This shameful result does not need to be permanent. We must tell these so called "elected officials" to listen to America and strengthen our gun laws.
Al Liebeskind, Columbia