I LIVED in California for many years and was always amazed at just how powerful the gun lobby is.

Every time there's a mass shooting, and again today in the wake of the worst mass shooting in U.S.history, it always falls back on the second amendment to the United States Constitution, which it asserts gives all citizens the right to bear arms.

However what the second amendment actually states is "A WELL-REGULATED MILITIA being necessary to the security of the state, the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed".

From which it is clear that the founding fathers legislated the right to bear arms AS PART of a WELL-REGULATED militia. I suspect that they are turning in their graves at the way in which their words have been twisted by the gun lobby to justify the right of every American to purchase what amount to weapons of mass destruction for their personal use.

And what are we to make of a nation where highly sophisticated weapons, including Kalashnikovs, AK-47s, grenade launchers and similar are freely available from shops in almost every community, yet the sale of the European children's chocolate treat, Kinder Surprise, is banned because it is deemed to be dangerous?

Go figure!

ROBERT READMAN

Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth