Letters: Sig, gun laws already there

RE SIGNE'S recent cartoon on guns:

Does she realize that every single gun crime in Philadelphia is a serious federal offense? Federal firearm law is found in the U.S. Code, Title 18, Chapter 44. These laws cover every aspect of straw-man sales, illegal purchases, illegal transfers, illegal possession, etc. Why isn't existing law being enforced? Examples:

1. Sec. 922 (a)(6): False answers on Treasury Form 4473 when buying a handgun from a federally licensed dealer, or making false oral statements, is a 10-year felony offense.

2. Sec. 923 (g)(3)(a) requires all federally licensed dealers to report multiple handgun sales to state or local police. (This means that police already know who is buying large quantities of handguns, and possibly engaged in illegal re-sales.)

3. Sec. 922 (d): Transferring a gun to a known felon or drug user is a 10-year felony.

4. Sec. 924 (h): Knowing the transferred weapon will be used in drug sales or other crime is a 10-year felony.

5. Sec. 922 (g): Convicted felon in possession of a gun is a 10-year felony.

This goes on and on. No new laws, restrictions, limits, or rationing systems needed. No sane law-abiding sportsman avoids the numerous background checks, and state and federal reporting, when legally purchasing a gun for sporting or self-defense. The many illegal drug enterprises in this city have no interest in obeying new gun restrictions. Only law-abiding sportsmen and those legally entitled to self-defense arms will suffer.

The inconvenient truth is that the state constitution, Article 1, Declaration of Rights, Right to Bear Arms, Sec. 21, states unequivocally: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned."

Please use your immense talent to draw cartoons imploring our benevolent and wise judicial system to deal with known career criminals, and kindly leave the rest of us alone.

John Nernoff, Philadelphia