LETTER: A sad memory of Columbine as students march for gun control

To Ozaukee Press:

I served as a U. S Army ordnance officer at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts 1963 to 1965. We had the best small arms museum in the free world.   

Most of the small arms in the museum from colonial days were muzzle loaders, the type of wartime weapon used in 1791—when the Second Amendment was adopted. The rifles were breech loaded with a ramrod, a patch, some powder and a ball of lead.  

On March 24, students all over the nation marched in protest of the availability to civilians of today’s much more deadly semi-automatic military-style weapons.  

I knew one of the high school kids killed in the Columbine massacre in 1999. The list of casualties includes: “John Tomlin, age 16. Killed by multiple shots to the head and neck.”  

I worked with John’s dad in Milwaukee. We went on a summer camping trip when John was 10. His dad and mom moved the family to Colorado in about 1993. 

Some may recall the television video of the moment when the students burst out of Columbine High School. While many parents hugged their children with tears of joy, no one came to John’s parents.         The family had a funeral in Wisconsin as well as Colorado. I was able to attend the Wisconsin ceremony and heard his parents say they granted full forgiveness. I don’t think I could do that. 

In the Columbine massacre of students, there were 4 firearms, 99 explosives, 4 knives, 15 deaths and 24 injuries.

 Think about it and write to your representatives in Congress. Tell them to ban semi-automatic military weapons from civilian ownership now.

 John Enright

Grafton