Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms in an open man, so it's no surprise he would freely express his opinion in an open letter regarding gun control. 'I’m a firm believer that all good citizens should have fire arm, and be able to protect themselves.'

Sheriff Helms told donthanfirst.com that the average response to time for an officer is 11 minutes and he believes that if more people are armed, they can defend themselves until law enforcement arrives. "It's been on my mind and I decided that I’d write the letter to my citizens to let them know that I support them and their right to carry a fire arm as long as they lawfully can,' he said. 

Sheriff Helms has seen the growing concerns of people wanting to protect themselves in wake of last weeks mass shooting in California and his message seems to have been received well so far.

Other surrounding sheriffs offered their opinions on gun control. "Gun control to me is good sight picture, good sight alignment and good trigger pull," Sheriff Donald Valenza offered but he thinks there are too many gun laws on the books now.  "My thing is this, you're no different than we are. You can't just pull your gun and shoot somebody.  You need to have an idea of what the laws are."

Both officials agree that being armed could mean the difference between life and death. They recommend getting a pistol permit, taking instructional classes and learning how to use the firearm to avoid being a victim.

 

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