Letters, Feb. 1, 2013: Guns; Marple firing; Defending ourselves; Derecho
We are a nation of problem solvers. Whether it is illness, manufacturing, communications, travel, construction, or whatever -- if there is a problem we attempt to solve it.
Our lives are more important than guns
Editor:
We are a nation of problem solvers. Whether it is illness, manufacturing, communications, travel, construction, or whatever -- if there is a problem we attempt to solve it. We have virtually eliminated smallpox, polio, and we are on the way to curing AIDS. In manufacturing we can now virtually build an automobile using robots. We communicate with each other in several ways unimagined one hundred years ago. We can travel across our country in hours. We construct buildings in weeks.
But as far as controlling gun slaughter we have made NO progress. Every day in America about 25 innocent people are killed by guns. And we only talk. "Isn't it too bad?" "Why did he do it?" "Did he purchase the gun legally?"
We don't mind sacrificing our college age children (Virginia Tech) or early elementary school children (Newtown) just so we can keep our weapons. We can expect much hand-wringing and moaning, asking questions, but ultimately NOTHING will be done to stop gun slaughter.
No other modern nation allows such slaughter.
This is because the gun industry controls America. They make sure that there is always a war going on somewhere featuring American soldiers overseas -- to justify the arms industry here at home employing workers in nearly every Congressional District.
Japan has outlawed every gun -- if a person owns a gun in Japan it is an illegal gun. The average death toll from guns in Japan is 25 per YEAR!
The dream has never worked out. You can't let everyone have guns and never have murders. It is time to DISARM. Our lives are more important than your guns. We are the laughing stock of the world.
How much longer are we to tolerate guns? It's up to you.
Carl Shaw
Mt. Zion
Firing Jorea Marple was thoughtless
Editor:
"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards." -- Mark Twain in Following the Equator; Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Firing a woman named Marple is like firing a beloved aunt who sends you $100 every Christmas. Our first thoughts are "Where are your minds?"' Our second thoughts are "Where are your hearts?"
Bill Byrd
Charleston
People have the right to defend themselves
Editor:
Fareed Zakaria is a columnist who obviously has little experience outside of New York or Washington. I say this with all possible respect many times a year because our citizens have the right to defend themselves; lives are saved and the people are empowered to resist evil. Both lives and money are saved because of this.
You want to stop violence, put an armed guard where you desire to prevent it. These "sick" individuals are also cowards! America does not lack courage, the Americans who want to outlaw guns are either naive or uninformed!
Richard Hughes
Defiance, Ohio
We don't know what caused derecho failures
Editor:
How ironic it is that the June 29 storm just happened to be on my birthday! Also ironic is that I have been writing the electric company and letters to the editor for years about the condition of utility poles and the clearing of rights of way. My job has taken me throughout the state, and while the problem is massive it is not impossible. The electric companies win both ways. Not only will they get a rate increase to cover the cost of restoration, they will also factor in a charge for infrastructure repairs in the future.
What really burns me is the news story I heard when my power was restored, reminding people that it is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain the wiring from the pole to the house, without any mention of how many lines went down due to poor maintenance of the rights of way. The Public Service Commission did include the telephone companies, who use these poles as well.
The Gazette article, however, did not make it clear what actually failed in the June 29 storm. Was it a combination of failures or was it due primarily from poor maintenance practices on the part of the utility companies?
Louis P. Cervone
St. Albans
Our lives are more important than guns
Editor:
We are a nation of problem solvers. Whether it is illness, manufacturing, communications, travel, construction, or whatever -- if there is a problem we attempt to solve it. We have virtually eliminated smallpox, polio, and we are on the way to curing AIDS. In manufacturing we can now virtually build an automobile using robots. We communicate with each other in several ways unimagined one hundred years ago. We can travel across our country in hours. We construct buildings in weeks.
But as far as controlling gun slaughter we have made NO progress. Every day in America about 25 innocent people are killed by guns. And we only talk. "Isn't it too bad?" "Why did he do it?" "Did he purchase the gun legally?"
We don't mind sacrificing our college age children (Virginia Tech) or early elementary school children (Newtown) just so we can keep our weapons. We can expect much hand-wringing and moaning, asking questions, but ultimately NOTHING will be done to stop gun slaughter.
No other modern nation allows such slaughter.
This is because the gun industry controls America. They make sure that there is always a war going on somewhere featuring American soldiers overseas -- to justify the arms industry here at home employing workers in nearly every Congressional District.
Japan has outlawed every gun -- if a person owns a gun in Japan it is an illegal gun. The average death toll from guns in Japan is 25 per YEAR!
The dream has never worked out. You can't let everyone have guns and never have murders. It is time to DISARM. Our lives are more important than your guns. We are the laughing stock of the world.
How much longer are we to tolerate guns? It's up to you.
Carl Shaw
Mt. Zion
Firing Jorea Marple was thoughtless
Editor:
"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards." -- Mark Twain in Following the Equator; Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Firing a woman named Marple is like firing a beloved aunt who sends you $100 every Christmas. Our first thoughts are "Where are your minds?"' Our second thoughts are "Where are your hearts?"
Bill Byrd
Charleston
People have the right to defend themselves
Editor:
Fareed Zakaria is a columnist who obviously has little experience outside of New York or Washington. I say this with all possible respect many times a year because our citizens have the right to defend themselves; lives are saved and the people are empowered to resist evil. Both lives and money are saved because of this.
You want to stop violence, put an armed guard where you desire to prevent it. These "sick" individuals are also cowards! America does not lack courage, the Americans who want to outlaw guns are either naive or uninformed!
Richard Hughes
Defiance, Ohio
We don't know what caused derecho failures
Editor:
How ironic it is that the June 29 storm just happened to be on my birthday! Also ironic is that I have been writing the electric company and letters to the editor for years about the condition of utility poles and the clearing of rights of way. My job has taken me throughout the state, and while the problem is massive it is not impossible. The electric companies win both ways. Not only will they get a rate increase to cover the cost of restoration, they will also factor in a charge for infrastructure repairs in the future.
What really burns me is the news story I heard when my power was restored, reminding people that it is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain the wiring from the pole to the house, without any mention of how many lines went down due to poor maintenance of the rights of way. The Public Service Commission did include the telephone companies, who use these poles as well.
The Gazette article, however, did not make it clear what actually failed in the June 29 storm. Was it a combination of failures or was it due primarily from poor maintenance practices on the part of the utility companies?
Louis P. Cervone
St. Albans
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