LETTERS: Readers react to last weekend’s mass murders
”Political assassinations did not change our gun laws. Massacres of children and bloodbaths involving innocent victims of gun violence had a minuscule or — even worse — no effect on America’s love affair with guns.
Enough is enough. It is beyond time to cease America’s worship of the gun and turn our attention to protecting the victims and potential victims of gun violence as zealously as we protect the rights of that inanimate piece of iron that is utilized to murder adults, children and anything in the path of its destructive ammunition.
Let us commence the banning of assault rifles and limit the amount of bullets that can be loaded to any weapon. Now.”
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“How many more? How many more shootings and how many more dead people do we have to have before something is done? Sadly, the answer is a lot. There will continue to be mass shootings and people dying as long as half the country refuses to look at the root of the problem.
The left likes to blame guns because guns can’t get offended. Guns don’t have feelings that can be hurt. The problem of mass shootings will continue as long as the blame is placed on an inanimate object with no will of its own instead of on the people who use firearms.”
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“The Review-Journal’s Tuesday editorial on the needed overdue steps to combat gun violence stopped short of calling for a ban on military-style assault weapons, clearly pandering to the NRA-funded Republican Party. As letter writer Art Gearhart noted on Tuesday, it is time to ban all assault-style weapons from all but the military and police.
Yes we need to address the issue of keeping guns out of the hands of the violent and mentally ill, but assault weapons are designed solely for the purpose of killing maximum numbers of humans in as short a period as possible. If you get such a kick out of firing these weapons, they could be available at gun ranges only.”
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“As a gun owner who has a carry permit and is a member of the NRA, I strongly support the Second Amendment. I do believe, however, we need to update our laws.
The Nevada Legislature this session banned bump stocks, a move that was long overdue. I also don’t believe anyone needs 100 rounds of ammo. Medical privacy laws need to be tweaked to allow mental health professionals to raise red flags.
We may have to step on a few toes along the way, but better safe than sorry. Let’s fix things the right way (no pun intended), not just act on these knee-jerk reactions.”
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“As usual, so many well-intentioned people continually get sucked into believing that “if we just get rid of the guns, we won’t have these problems.” I believe as Warren Farrell, who wrote a book called “The Boy Crisis.” The problem would still exist, it would just morph into another way, possibly worse in ways.
Mr. Farrell studied young boys — from the inner city to rural communities — and found the most troubled and likely to be troublesome lack a father figure in their lives. For many years the government, even though with good intentions, has made being an irresponsible father very easy. Facts will show, generally speaking, that this trend has been on the rise since the Great Society programs.
There is a lot of truth to the adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Everyone touts “their rights,” but no one seems to mention responsibility, unless it’s to assign it elsewhere.”
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“The Review-Journal’s carefully worded Tuesday editorial on the need for a Marshall Plan to combat mass shootings was no better than the gun lobby’s statement right after a domestic terrorism incident.
“Decorum and respect” in social media will not help us fight domestic terrorism. Common-sense federal legislation and a change in President Donald Trump’s public display of his attitude toward minorities would. Background checks are not “gun control.” They are attempts to ensure the wrong people don’t their hands on guns, especially those used by mass murderers. The Second Amendment doesn’t prohibit any gun sale or licensing requirements.
The argument about the “slippery slope” from background checks of gun buyers or restrictions of gun sales at gun shows, all the way down to taking away guns of law-abiding citizens, is devoid of any credulous rationale. Actually, it is a nightmare scenario created by the NRA to scare its own supporters.
It’s shockingly sad that American ingenuity is absent from any desire to prevent mass murders. Is it possible we don’t mind domestic terrorism as long as the culture of the Wild, Wild West prevails?”
