To the editor:

People in the United States, and most specifically, Kansas, have become paranoid about their safety. Many people are wanting to carry handguns to protect themselves from others who also carry guns. We all know that this is necessary because we watch the many crime-fighting shows on television and watch news stories every day detailing the latest gunbattles in our major cities.

People must feel that our society has become so violent that we must carry a gun for protection. There are many reports of people being wounded or killed by a stray bullet from one of these gunbattles. Who pays for the medical care and loss of wages of these innocent bystanders? The innocent bystander might be up to a mile away from the gun battle and not able to connect their wounding to a specific group of people firing guns.

Gun owners who plan to use their weapons for protection should be required to carry no-fault insurance to cover the cost of medical care for anyone injured as a result of a gunshot — especially the innocent bystander. Let those legislators who want to pass legislation that encourages everyone to carry a gun be responsible and do something to provide for those who are injured or killed by one of these lethal weapons. Of course those who illegally carry guns will not purchase insurance so our legislators will have to figure out how to ensure that legal gun owners don’t incur an unfair cost of providing for those injured in gun-related violence.