Letters: Tired of excuses; A message to politicians

Tired of excuses

Isn’t it about time for Americans to determine we have had enough killings due to hatred, emotional or mental illnesses, and belief in conspiracy theories?

While I support the Second Amendment as well as the other amendments, I am tired of hearing purported gun advocates making excuses for killings when it is easier to obtain guns than it is to get a driver’s license. Testing and licensing for gun ownership makes sense.

When our founding fathers adopted the Bill of Rights they did so to guarantee the right of citizens to own weapons as a militia, if we had another government such as the one they opposed. That right should remain and not be twisted into wholesale gun ownership by those who want to believe our current government is tyrannical.

While I do not hunt, I respect the sport by those who enjoy it and target shooting.

It appears that much of the problem with killing done with guns is the result of a lack of toleration for others, particularly those who are perceived as different and possibly threatening to the way of life of those who shoot somewhat randomly. Obviously, something threatens their view of living in our democracy.

The majority of us need to elect people to political office that put logic ahead of desires, including the ownership and use of assault weapons. They are called assault weapons for a reason. They are intended for the military during war, which we can well do without.

A message to politicians

A person very close to me, a registered Republican for 62 years and writer for The New York Times (yes, there are conservatives at the oft-cited liberal paper), sent this letter to Mr. McConnell and sent me a copy:

“Dear Senator McConnell,

I was a life-long Republican. When Trump turned the party into his disgusting cult, I became an independent. Now I have decided that until you start to move some meaningful anti-gun legislation — e.g. banning assault weapons, raising the purchase age, expanding registration — I pledge never to cast a Republican vote for any candidate at any level of government.

I am sick of you gutless pols putting self-preservation ahead of what the country needs and obviously wants.

Shame on you.”

To me, that says it all.

Don’t fall for school voucher ‘scheme’

In a recent letter to the editor, Robert Thomas and Robert Shearer, president and vice president of St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy, played upon various fears and tropes to make their case for Harrisburg’s latest school voucher proposal, “Lifeline Scholarships” in House Bill 2169.

According to Education Voters of PA, of which I am an advisory member, HB 2169 would cost $144 million and create further disinvestment in our public schools by removing tax dollars from some of Pennsylvania’s poorest school districts and transferring this money onto debit cards that would be given to families participating in the program. Since there are no income limits for participation in the program, HB 2169 would provide handouts to families who already have enough wealth to send their children to private schools — at the expense of children in schools that are already among the most shortchanged by the commonwealth’s grossly inadequate and inequitable school funding system.

Pennsylvania’s children need adults to stop falling for schemes that create wider socioeconomic and racial disparities. We must stand up for a system of school funding that ensures all of our public schools have the resources to give all students a shot at a bright future. Visit www.EdVotersPA to learn more, and call your state senator to tell them to oppose this proposed voucher scheme.

This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 6:00 AM.