Action needed to prevent more gun tragedies
To the Times: By now you have heard the sad but all too familiar news of another mass school shooting. This is the 18th school shooting of the year and it’s only February. It seems that our politicians only response to these horrific acts of violence is to offer thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. While thoughts and prayers are well intended, it is action that is needed to prevent these tragedies. No child in this country should ever worry about being shot at school. No parent, for that matter, should ever have to worry if their son or daughter will return home safely from their school day.
The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The key phrase in that clause is “well regulated”. We need to elect legislators in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., who will work to enact universal background checks and ban the sale of high-capacity firearms - two pieces of legislation that the NRA is firmly against. It’s time that we take on the NRA and those that take their money! If not us, then who? If not now, then when? The time for action is now!
#Parkland Brian J. McGinnis, Chairman, Chester County Democratic Committee
We can control the gun issue
To the Times: So far this year there have been 18 school shootings in the United States. The rest of the world? None. What happened in Florida was not an act of evil. The word evil implies a demonic force beyond our control, but this issue is very much within our control. This is about how we treat each other, anger, disaffected youth, the mental health crises, our casual attitude towards guns, and the availability of guns and weapons of all types. Thankfully, this kid did not get a hold of a bumpstock or a kit to convert his weapon to full automatic.
To the NRA: There is no reason for a 19-year-old kid to be able to buy or posses an AR-15. The Second Amendment was written in 1791, the Founding Fathers could not have possibly conceived of what is happening now. It is time to be a part of the solution or go away. And NO, more guns are not part of the solution.
To our politicians: Your lack of leadership on this issue makes you dangerously close to complicit with the shooters themselves. You have accepted the responsibility for our safety and security, it is now time to act on that responsibility. This should not be a partisan issue.
To the community of Parkland Florida: I am very sorry. Joe Niagara, Drexel Hill
Time to close gun loopholes
To the Times: As the slaughter of innocents continues, this time at a high school in Florida, we are again faced with the stark reality of a completely ineffectual response to this deadly crisis of gun violence in America. The expressions of sympathy offered by our elected officials from the highest office on down have become a bizarre gruesome ritual, repeated as if by rote.
In a small group meeting last week with my state representative, Stephen Barrar, R-160, he told us bluntly that he would not co-sponsor House Bill 1400, which would establish universal background checks in Pennsylvania. Rep. Barrar is the only state representative in all of Delaware County, both Republican and Democrat alike, who has declined to co-sponsor this bill. HB 1400 would close the current loophole in the Pennsylvania background check system for rifles sold at gun shows and online by unlicensed private sellers.
America throughout our history has confronted all manner of problems large and small with determination and innovation, until solutions are found. Yet we throw up our hands and act helpless in the face of this epidemic of gun violence. If people like Rep. Barrar refuse to act while school children are murdered then he needs to step aside and allow those who will confront this crisis to step up.
Passing HB 1400 is the lowest threshold of action that could be taken right now to help keep guns out the hands of prohibited purchasers including felons, domestic abusers and the seriously mentally ill. Unfortunately, this would not address the issue of AR-15 assault style weapons like the one used yesterday and in so many mass shootings, being available for purchase. But incremental steps like HB 1400 are urgently needed. While no one measure will solve this problem, inaction has become more than unacceptable – it’s criminal.