Dear Editor:

Here’s part of the gun-violence butcher’s bill for our country in 2021: 11 mass murders, claiming the lives of 69 people. This, however, is only a small subset of the 147 mass shootings (45 since March 16) so far this year.

Last year, there were over 600 mass shootings, up from 417 the year before.

You might be tempted to turn to America’s largest organization of gun owners, the National Rifle Association, for some guidance about this rising crisis. Don’t bother: according to their Institute for Legislative Action, “NRA will take all available and legal action to defeat Biden’s new gun control.”

Saving the Second Amendment (“not bestowed by man, but granted by God to all Americans”); promoting gun manufacturing, sales, and ownership; and (of course) thoughts and prayers — these are the NRA’s responses to the victims’ families.

Bill Hammond

Barters Island