Letters to the editor June 14

Ignoring the real issues

They’re talking about the wrong subject, as usual. The Senate’s latest legislation, which is aimed squarely at our Second Amendment rights is as predictable as it is futile. What’s really irritating is such deliberations overshadow any consideration of the real question: Why are so many people engaging in such horrendous actions?

It appears to many that. at our base, our country is sick and that this sickness is connected to the true cause of the motivations of people who commit these atrocities.

Mass murderers are, by definition, crazy and it seems clear we are developing more and more troubled people in our country. The lawless jungles of our large cities have turned into killing grounds with Chicago leading the way (800) followed by a long list of our other cities. Are they contributing to the environment which creates mentally unstable people?

Drugs like Fentanyl led to over 100,000 overdose deaths last year by far dwarfing mass shooting deaths. Are drugs like these connected to the shooters?

Mental illness problems have risen dramatically partly due to the disastrous Covid shutdowns and other mandates. Shouldn’t this be studied in the light of these gun men?

The new-fangled marijuana with such powerful and negative mental effects has been shown to lead to paranoia. How many shooters use such a powerful drug?

Is there a connection from the hours and hours spent by our young boys on games of violence designed to addict them to these deranged shooters?

In addition, there are many who contend our downhill slide coincides with the war on Christianity these last six decades by secular humanists, atheists, the science community and our public education institutions. Has this advocacy for a world outlook with no truth, no future, no moral base and, ultimately, no hope contributed to the mental degeneration which is producing such horrific actions?

Considerations of gun laws allow our leaders to escape evaluation of these larger and more profound issues. Instead of wasting energy on feel good gun laws, which are largely ineffective, all sides should be brave enough to engage in the real issue of “why” if, for no other reason, for our children. The answers may not be pretty but to ignore these issues and just go after guns is plain, flat cowardly.

— Mark Agather, Kalispell

Time to do something

This is in response to William Fry’s letter of June 7. I can only assume he gets his information from Fox Opinion, One America, and Wayne Lapierre. The only statement in his letter that is correct is that the rest of the world knows what keeps kids safe. Look it up. Find out what the gun laws are in the U.K., France, Germany Spain, Japan, etc. They are much more strict than the ones in the U.S. Nobody here wants to take legal hunting weapons away from anyone.

To blame the Democratic Party for the situation we are in today is laughable. The Republican Party was in charge of both houses of government from 2010 to 2018 and nothing was done about gun violence. I was a teacher 20 miles from Sandy Hook on that awful day when 20 first graders and six teachers were savagely murdered but what was the Republican response? “We don’t want a knee jerk reaction.” Really?

Those 20 kids would be juniors in high school now and there still hasn’t been anything done. Let’s hope in 10 years we won’t be saying the kids from Uvalde would be sophomores in college and still nothing has been done.

Also from my perspective, arming teachers is the most stupid idea I have heard. What happens when they get shot and a student decides to “defend” the class?

Ted Cruz and Lapierre have said “The only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” There were 19 good guys with guns at Robb Elementary school and they couldn’t stop one teenager with a gun.

It is time to do something. To allow a person to buy an assault rifle before they can legally buy a pack of cigarettes is so far beyond nuts. We desperately need comprehensive background checks, Red flag laws, and as far as I am concerned, a ban on assault rifles. Just look at the name of the gun.

Nobody but the Republicans ever says anything about taking guns away from honest law abiding citizens. We just want to keep these weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of those who are not. Only a fool tries the same cure time after time with the same results.

If we get our schools safe like Mr. Fry claims we can do, what about our churches, grocery stores, theaters, concerts, malls, hospitals? Has he ever been in Flathead High? There are dozens of doors to “protect.”

Wait till it happens close to home.

— Russell Stilwell, Kalispell

Gun violence

No folks, the answer to gun violence in this country is not more guns. We, as a nation, can define common sense gun laws. It is time to break the chock-hold the gun industry, NRA, etc. has on this nation so: 1) Let’s take back what the 2nd Amendment really states and means. And 2) Let’s address and change some gun rules and laws!.

We continue allowing the gun industry, NRA, etc. to block any and all changes to amend or improve what the Second Amendment stands for. Gun violence is not OK. The messages of “our thoughts and prayers are with you” or “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”, etc. are not solving the problem.

If you can’t buy a hand gun at 18, why can you buy an assault rifle? How did the 2nd Amendment ever become a weapon against common sense solutions? It is a simple amendment and yet the gun industry, etc. has redefined it’s original meaning. It’s time for a change.

Let’s take back our country and quit using the 2nd Amendment as a crutch to justify more high capacity guns being developed, more rounds in a magazine, etc. and more violence.

Gun advocates whine about their “rights” being taken away. What about the shooting victims rights? Those that died (they don’t have a voice at all) or were injured— where are their rights? Do we continue to ignore them?

If you say yes, then we are a nation that is violent and are willing to promote it. If you say no, then let’s work on passing some rules.

— Linda Edwards, Polson