President Bush on Gun Control

Having been on the receiving end of many AK-47 assault rifles some 20 years ago as a combat infantry soldier in South Vietnam, the ongoing controversy surrounding these weapons amazes and appalls me, especially the reported dramatic rise in sales of these tools of war in the face of pending regulation (Part I, Feb. 11).

I cannot help but wonder what is wrong with this civilization (and I use the term loosely), in which some members hold a perverse fascination with a weapon that was used to kill a good number of the 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in Vietnam.

I wonder how many citizens of Vietnam have the same fascination with our AR-15 (M-16) rifle and are scurrying around their country in a similar buying frenzy. Anybody want to guess?

JAMES N. WHITE

Laguna Beach