KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Make no mistake about it, a hotly debated topic on a national level is gun violence and the government’s role in addressing it. While everyone seems to agree gun violence is a major problem, not everyone agrees on how to go about addressing it.

President Obama’s executive orders issued Jan. 5 added fuel to the debate. Obama, and those advising him, believe the Second Amendment allows for gun violence to be addressed without infringing on the right to bear arms. On a national level, major shootings have occurred more frequently and the two most recent were in Oregon and California.

Obama, and others, feel background checks need to be tightened and even those who sell guns at shows need to be required to do background checks.

Locally, though, it appears many are concerned the federal government has gone too far with restrictions and have gone across a line, infringing upon the rights of law-abiding citizens. Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said he can’t recall hearing many, if any, comments from anyone in favor of more restrictions on guns. “They (people in general) feel there are enough laws already and they (government) are basically infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Rovenstine noted this area is more conservative and more people seem to be concerned they will lose their guns rather than about the gun violence. He said, fortunately, gun violence has not been a major problem locally as it has been in other locations in the U.S.

He noted the debate has proved to be interesting. “It probably needs to be an honest debate in the U.S.,” he added. He said he is open to looking at data and hearing both sides of the argument.

One area where there is some common ground is that of addressing mental health issues. Obama’s executive orders did include more funding for mental health treatment.

Rovenstine said mental health issues need to be addressed more and it is in reality a bigger problem than even gun violence. He noted, at least locally, there is not enough money and facilities to properly treat mental health problems. Resources and know how are lacking, he added.

However, he cautioned it is difficult, if not impossible, to always know ahead of time what a person’s intentions are. A hundred people may show the same signs, he said, but only a few of those may actually use a gun to shoot someone.

“Everybody wants to prevent everything before it happens, but is that really feasible?,” he said. “How can we perceive intent beforehand?” And, “everybody wants to be a Monday morning quarterback” and talk about what should have happened after the fact.

Criminals will still continue to get weapons illegally regardless of laws, he commented.

Leroy “Buck” Henwood, a gun shop owner near North Webster, said he is not against background checks and feels Indiana has a solid system in place. But, he believes, the government is going too far with restrictions on guns.

He said more needs to be done to prosecute and put in jail those who get weapons illegally. And he suggested it should be illegal for someone who is not a U.S. citizen to buy a firearm in America.