Gun violence
Regarding “Alert: Police say a seventh person has died as a result of the mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois,” (July 5): As the collective media covers the tragic parade shooting in a Chicago suburb, they miss the forest for the trees. Just look at the headline from a Chicago news story before the parade shooting: “Over 60 shot, 15 fatally, in violent July Fourth weekend in Chicago.”
Sadly, this is somewhat of a regular occurrence in Chicago and other cities across America, yet it never makes for a 24/7 news cycle like the one-off crazy person shooting up a place. If the politicos were serious about reducing gun deaths, they wouldn’t be focusing on scary-looking “weapons of war” and the size of magazines — they’d be focusing on the root causes such as lack of education and job opportunities among the many issues that lead people to a life of crime. I’m sure if someone looks at the stats, they might discover that the number of innocent people caught in the crossfire in these near-daily city shootings exceeds those killed in the mass shootings the media seem to love. These stats are likely to also reveal that far more innocent children are caught in the crossfire each and every year than were killed in Uvalde.
Tim Graney, Katy
I’m in our school, listening to the children sing “This land is your land, this land is my land . ... This land was made for you and me.” This land is not truly made for them until we make it safe for them. Safe to worship, go to parades, shop and attend school.
This is on us. We have to push for local, state and national legislation that will make this country safe for children again.
Pam Nelson, founder, Montessori House for Children and Elementary School
The recently passed, bipartisan bill on gun control, signed by President Biden two weeks ago has already failed, this time on the Fourth of July. Why? The legislation failed to recognize, by legislators, actions that would protect themselves, their families and their own kids or grandkids were they to find themselves in the line of fire at a place such as Highland Park, gunned down by a person with access to weapons of war, legally purchased.
Legislators must ask the obvious:
“What do I need to legislate to keep these weapons out of the hands of deranged, malicious people who may target a function my family and I may attend?” If the legislation drafted does not move to directly stop or eliminate the potential for massacres such as that of Sandy Hook, Uvalde and Highland Park, it is insufficient and needs to be redone. If this means banning the use of these weapons, except as part of “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,” then these weapons need to be so-regulated, and banned, such that they are only in the hands of persons subject to such well-regulated militia. This may be done by presidential executive order, for up to one year, with appropriate permanent regulations drafted by a joint task force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Defense, voted on by Congress and made applicable to each state.
Hold your congresspeople and senators responsible for keeping firearms out of the hands of domestic terrorists. Your vote is your voice. No mas!
Rex Alfonso, Missouri City
I guess we need to wear both masks and body armor now to go out.
Alan Jackson, Houston
As a former public school teacher for 25 years, the senseless massacre of children and teachers in Uvalde terrified me. It changed lives and caused unfathomable grief and sadness for so many people that will never go away. Fast forward to the senseless, horrific massacre on July 4 at a parade in Highland Park, Chicago. The more facts that come out, the worse it is, and again, lives are changed and the grief and sadness for so many people will never go away. The celebration of freedom promised in our country is replaced by fear for our lives.
The Supreme Court has become a political pawn for Mr. Trump and his followers. There is a huge contradiction between making abortion a crime but basically saying “freedom for all” when it comes to guns. I keep hearing that we are saving so many babies’ lives. So at what age is it OK for people to be randomly shot with the guns you make so available? The stupidity and hypocrisy is beyond belief. Whose human lives are you choosing to save?
Carol Anderson, Houston