Letters, Jan. 10, 2013: Gun control; Board of Education
Over the last several days the NRA has seriously suggested that in order to protect our children from predators sporting military type weapons with large capacity clips, instead of restricting the availability of such guns, we must post "good guys with guns" at every school.
Suggestions for feasible gun control
Editor:
Over the last several days the NRA has seriously suggested that in order to protect our children from predators sporting military type weapons with large capacity clips, instead of restricting the availability of such guns, we must post "good guys with guns" at every school. The NRA spokesmen didn't tell us how, in this era of funding cuts to education programs, to fund the army of security people that would be needed.
May we make several suggestions?
1. An excise tax on the sale of all guns, accessories, and especially on ammunition to be earmarked for funding extra law enforcement in and around schools. This would accomplish two things while not prohibiting gun ownership. It would make gun ownership more expensive and presumably less attractive; it would also allocate the cost of security necessitated by widespread weapon ownership on the gun owners rather than on society generally.
2. Require all gun owners and users to carry significant liability insurance to compensate all victims injured by their weapons. I have seen the argument that cars are dangerous instruments that cause many injuries and fatalities every day but that we don't ban them because they are so important to the functioning of our society; and that guns should be treated similarly. We do, however require car owners and drivers to be insured. Since the potential for gun damage is so great, the required insurance should carry a minimum of $5 million coverage per weapon. In order to make sure that the owner has some of his/her own "skin in the game" the insurance should have a deductible of a minimum of $10,000 per incident. Of course any incident with an uninsured weapon would be a felony offense separate from the underlying crime, if any.
Since the NRA typically couches its arguments in the terms of ownership by responsible, law-abiding people, even the NRA should support these modest proposals that try to place the cost of any mis-use of their weapons on the owners themselves.
Harvey M. Cohen,
Naomi W. Cohen
Lewisburg
BOE actions show lack of concern for kids
Editor:So, now the truth comes out. Our state Board of Education is more interested in politics and especially money and "what can you do for me" than our kids' education. I spent 41 years in education, so I know a thing or two about our schools. It sickens me to read about our leaders who obviously have other things on their minds than kids.
I have often wondered why people who have no knowledge or experience in education are put in a position to determine policy for those of us in education. It seems these people have forgotten what is "right"; or don't care. They feel they are above rules or the law and can do anything they want; especially when it is good for them; and maybe they can. How can they sleep at night?
What they forget is that they are riding the backs of the taxpayers, and as a taxpayer, I am getting tired of what goes on behind closed doors. One of these days, this great nation of ours is going to fall and people will wonder why. Our state Board is a good example of why. I may not have the money, power or prestige, but I would not trade places with them for anything.
Rodney L. Smith
Madison
Suggestions for feasible gun control
Editor:
Over the last several days the NRA has seriously suggested that in order to protect our children from predators sporting military type weapons with large capacity clips, instead of restricting the availability of such guns, we must post "good guys with guns" at every school. The NRA spokesmen didn't tell us how, in this era of funding cuts to education programs, to fund the army of security people that would be needed.
May we make several suggestions?
1. An excise tax on the sale of all guns, accessories, and especially on ammunition to be earmarked for funding extra law enforcement in and around schools. This would accomplish two things while not prohibiting gun ownership. It would make gun ownership more expensive and presumably less attractive; it would also allocate the cost of security necessitated by widespread weapon ownership on the gun owners rather than on society generally.
2. Require all gun owners and users to carry significant liability insurance to compensate all victims injured by their weapons. I have seen the argument that cars are dangerous instruments that cause many injuries and fatalities every day but that we don't ban them because they are so important to the functioning of our society; and that guns should be treated similarly. We do, however require car owners and drivers to be insured. Since the potential for gun damage is so great, the required insurance should carry a minimum of $5 million coverage per weapon. In order to make sure that the owner has some of his/her own "skin in the game" the insurance should have a deductible of a minimum of $10,000 per incident. Of course any incident with an uninsured weapon would be a felony offense separate from the underlying crime, if any.
Since the NRA typically couches its arguments in the terms of ownership by responsible, law-abiding people, even the NRA should support these modest proposals that try to place the cost of any mis-use of their weapons on the owners themselves.
Harvey M. Cohen,
Naomi W. Cohen
Lewisburg
BOE actions show lack of concern for kids
Editor:So, now the truth comes out. Our state Board of Education is more interested in politics and especially money and "what can you do for me" than our kids' education. I spent 41 years in education, so I know a thing or two about our schools. It sickens me to read about our leaders who obviously have other things on their minds than kids.
I have often wondered why people who have no knowledge or experience in education are put in a position to determine policy for those of us in education. It seems these people have forgotten what is "right"; or don't care. They feel they are above rules or the law and can do anything they want; especially when it is good for them; and maybe they can. How can they sleep at night?
What they forget is that they are riding the backs of the taxpayers, and as a taxpayer, I am getting tired of what goes on behind closed doors. One of these days, this great nation of ours is going to fall and people will wonder why. Our state Board is a good example of why. I may not have the money, power or prestige, but I would not trade places with them for anything.
Rodney L. Smith
Madison
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