Regarding proposed firearms legislation [“O’Malley unveils firearm plan,” Jan. 23], House Speaker Michael Busch says, “Nobody wants to take guns away from someone who owns them legitimately ...”

Really? Nobody? Balderdash!

Immediately after the heinous Newtown, Conn., murders (a state with strict gun controls), the cry of “ban!” and “confiscate!” went up from the governors of Connecticut and New York as well as from various state and local officials around the country. Anti-gun Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has oft made her desires known: “Turn ’em all in!”

Indeed, a few pages after Busch’s soothing words are these from one Jane S. Bugg of Silver Spring: “Let’s get rid of guns!”

Busch’s proposals are fully endorsed by the communist leaders of North Korea, China, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as the Communist Party USA. If millions of honest, tax-paying gun owners of Maryland are going to be accused of guilt by association with depraved killers of innocent children, then it is perfectly appropriate that gun confiscators be associated with totalitarian thugs.

We will not surrender to tyranny.

Roger Johnson, Kensington