To the editor:

I’m writing in response to the Aug. 9 article “Department of Revenue to put on gun auction.” Twice during that short article the author, Scott Rothschild, refers to the guns to be auctioned by the department as “weapons.” A weapon is an object used to attack a person; this could be, of course, in offense or defense. Nevertheless, not all guns are weapons. If I buy one of these guns from the department for the sole purpose of taking target practice the gun most certainly is not a weapon. I own two shotguns myself, neither of which I consider weapons.

By implying that guns are weapons Mr. Rothschild is, by extension, implying that gun owners are people who attack other people. Owning a gun is not a symptom of being disposed to violence toward other people, and the suggestion to the contrary is offensive.

Thomas Knutzen,

Lawrence