Understand the facts
In the last 15 years, the United States has had more than 27 mass shootings that have claimed the lives of more than 262 people.
This includes Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tulsa, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (she survived, but six others died and 13 more were wounded) and the recent theater shooting, just to name a few. This is the easiest way to kill and injure people.
If we reduce the prevalence of guns, hopefully, it will somehow reduce the prevalence of death and injury.
We need to understand all the facts related to the cost and benefits to all private citizens possessing firearms. Questions are often asked: How do we use guns for protection?
Police say accused gunman James Eagen Holmes had several guns at the theater, which meant he was planning on doing what he did. What can be done about these tragedies before another happens?
The National Rifle Association argues the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is the right to bear loaded firearms in public without a permit. Its slogan is “guns don’t kill people, people do.” I say yes! The gun does help. A gun in the hands of an irresponsible person is still very dangerous.
Let us continue to pray for the families. But by the grace of God it could have been us.
Charlye
Heggins,
Denton
Proud to be American
“This year, 176 American military personnel have been killed in Afghanistan. ...” (“America cannot fix what ails Afghanistan,” DRC, July 19)
Back in early April, a bomber killed three Americans. Earlier this year, two Americans were killed execution-style in an office area.
Since our young men and women first were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001, more than 2,000 of them have been killed.
The president apologizes for everything he supposes Americans have done over the years. We have even seen photos of him bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia. A general is forced to say mea culpa because some books got burned. But have you heard of an apology to the wives, the parents or the families of these young Americans? And have you heard of any apologies from the Afghans?
Do the Afghans act like a wild dog that wags his tail as you give him food, but just don’t turn your back? Don’t show fear? Have our “leaders” forgotten what war is — to break more things than the other side and to be the last men standing? That’s what the military is trained to do.
We call those young people soldiers, but when we send them in harm’s way, we tie their hands. They aren’t allowed to be soldiers.
Some of us are still proud to be Americans. And our eyes tear up when we hear “taps” or see the Stars and Stripes waving in the morning sun while the “Star-Spangled Banner” resonates in the air.
Larry
Jambor,
Denton
Ludicrous complaint
This is from a Democratic voter of more than 50 years.
Maureen Dowd took up space in your newspaper [DRC, July 20] to complain about Mitt Romney not making his tax returns available. I believe this is ludicrous considering President Obama has made very few records available regarding his education or other areas of his life and spent millions of dollars prior to releasing a birth certificate with several errors within.
Mitt Romney gave his entire inheritance from his father to charity — therefore, he has not had the featherbed that President Obama has enjoyed seemingly for all his life.
I am not referring to wealth, rather to his dependence on others giving to him for his education, etc.
Since he has made his own fortune, Mitt Romney realizes that our infrastructure of electrical grids, highways, etc. were not provided by the government, rather they were paid for with taxes, from hard-earned money made by previous and current generations of taxpayers.
Community organizers would not recognize this since the major role of their work is to get more money from the bottomless pit of the government for their community.
Betty
Farmer,
Argyle
