Speaking before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords said, “We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you.”

And from the same testimony, Giffords, who was shot Jan. 8, 2011, in Tucson, while meeting with constituents, said, “Speaking is difficult, but I must say something important. . . .Too many children are dying. Too many children.”

I join with Giffords in supporting President Barack Obama’s call for additional gun controls. However, I’m not confident that a ban on specific weapons works.

Rather than banning certain weapons, my suggestion is to draft legislation listing only those types of weapons that would be allowed — for example, single-action rifles, either bolt- or lever-action, with magazines or clips holding no more than five bullets.

Handguns could be limited to revolvers; shotguns would be allowed, providing that they have not been altered.

What I am proposing is a short, descriptive list. Anything not on the list would be banned.

In response to past efforts at banning specific weapons, gun manufacturers produced guns that could be easily modified to perform exactly the functions that the law sought to curb.