Congress must be pressured into taking action
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Bronx: Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and every member of the Senate, or any elected official, for that matter, who doesn’t get on board with totally banning the purchase of assault weapons by civilians should be made to go to the funeral of each of the children who died on Tuesday, look their parents in their faces and explain why they won’t enact this ban. Any citizen of this country who is represented by an elected official who won’t at least vote for a paltry extended waiting period for the purchase of any gun should begin a campaign to remove them from office.
This horror of killing children and people at the hands of someone who doesn’t like their own miserable life will continue to happen over and over again. We can no longer listen to those who shout that their Second Amendment rights are being violated and that they have the right to purchase guns without strong restrictions. Maybe they should speak to the parents of the dead children as well. Sit in the back of the church and watch the latest victims’ families cry over their lost loved ones.
It seems we have lost our voices when it comes to demanding that the people we elected do what we tell them to do. It’s past time that we tell them, not ask them, to do this. Nancy Reilly
Gridlocked to death
Forest Hills: At least 21 were killed in a shooting massacre at a Texas elementary school. Just wait until the Gang of Five makes it “legal to carry” in all 50 states. We won’t have to worry about the criminals in prison. We will be worrying about the criminals in Washington, a.k.a. the senators who are bought, lock, stock and barrel, by the NRA. And let’s not forget our president who refuses to take the “nuclear option” and force a simple majority vote on the bipartisan Background Checks Act passed by the House 14 months ago. Now’s the time to offer our thoughts and prayers and build flower memorials to the latest victims of this madness, which is just business as usual for these heartless, gutless and unconscionable excuses for representatives of the people. Oh, and don’t forget to fly those flags at half-staff! Sherry Rogers
Perverted right
Forest Hills: Another mass murder. I am laying it all at the door of the Supreme Court that forgot the first half of the Second Amendment: “A well regulated Militia...” Switzerland and Israel have it. After serving in the armed forces, they take their weapons home. We give assault rifles to all mentally ill kids. John Szalkay
Readily available
Monroe, N.Y.: An 18-year-old male in the United States can get drafted, vote, buy a house, get married, donate blood, get credit cards, have legal sex and more than 50 other privileges — and buy a semi-automatic rifle. An 18-year-old cannot legally buy a handgun or a can of beer. Something doesn’t seem right!
Mike Ryan
Pro-gun zone
Hampton Bays, L.I.: In Texas, an 18-year-old can legally walk up to a school carrying an assault rifle. He isn’t breaking the law until he starts shooting. Gene Kelly
Forsaken kids
Melville, L.I.: About this one thing there is no debate: America loves its guns more than it does its children. Republican senators want to protect kids from dangerous books and dangerous ideas, but not from dangerous guns. If this wasn’t true, they would support a ban on the manufacture and sale of weapons of war today. Otherwise, they should call, right now, for a moment of silence and prayers for the victims of next week’s mass shooting. Sad. Dennis Joyce
Party of rot
Utica, N.Y.: Republican leaders have been exposed as the domestic terrorists they are. These self-proclaimed patriots work tirelessly, day after day, to make sure that the most damaged among us have the easiest access to the deadliest weapons available. They put that same passionate effort into denying voting rights to selected Americans. They block any legislative help offered to Americans in need. They use the blatant lies of a two-bit, wannabe autocrat loser to try and violently overturn a free and fair election. They mock the will of the American majority by stacking the judicial system with partisan hacks. They support America’s enemy by backing the murderous Vladimir Putin as he brutally crushes a democracy on his border. Now they have the gall to demand our vote? What? Why in the world would Americans support these selfish paragons of greed? Vote Democrat in November!
Jeff and Joan Ganeles
Consequences
Hauppauge, L.I.: I have to admit that since January, I have not really watched the news anymore. I’m sick of everything going on in this country. Nothing changes, nothing gets better. Criminals like Donald Trump and George W. Bush get away with everything they do. Months and millions are spent investigating and in the end, the real criminals go home to their millions and mansions. But today, once again, children are dead — little kids massacred in school again. I can’t help but watch the news and weep. And the politicians and the media wring their hands and do nothing, as usual. Every paper in the country should show the bloodied, ruined 10-year-old bodies blown away by bullets. Show the country what that looks like in color. Don’t hide it. Don’t censor it. You’re voting for people who get money from the NRA? Well, then look at it. This is what you get, blood on your hands. All of you.
Loretta Gallion
Pro-life
New Hyde Park, L.I.: The Democrats are at war with the Republicans because they think their stance on guns results in murder. The Republicans are at war with the Democrats because they think their stance on abortion results in murder. They both have different philosophies but both are guilty of promoting something that kills humans. That’s a fact. So how about if we outlaw both guns and abortion? Each side might be loath to admit it but lots of lives would be saved. Now isn’t that a great idea! So people, throw out your foolish ideals about rights. Gun rights and abortion rights are merely made-up rights that have resulted in countless deaths. The only natural right is the right to live. Be for living, not for death.
Tamara Balin
Downsides
Manhattan: What Voicer Bob Cavaliere does not seem to be aware of is that vast dams for hydropower are terrible for the environment, flooding oldgrowth forests and releasing tons of sequestered carbon dioxide. Further, flooded vegetation releases toxic methylmercury. Thank you to everybody who has installed a solar roof and is reaping the financial benefits. The greatest impact on our green future will be the expansion of large-scale wind and solar projects, including the nine megawatts of offshore wind
coming to New York. The new climate scoping plan must make sure these large-scale projects don’t lag in implementation. Our climate is running out of time.
Laurie Joan Aron
The need exists
AP
Brooklyn: Thank you, Voicer Joan Tully, for your letter regarding opioid use. There are thousands of people who have terrible chronic pain and the only thing that allows them to be able to lead a somewhat normal life is the use of prescription opioids. There will always be people who will abuse the drugs they are given but used responsibly, they are a boon to people who could not otherwise carry out their daily tasks. I agree that drug dealers who are pushing fentanyl should be pursued and stopped. Not everyone that is using opioids is abusing them and trying to espouse that opinion is foolish and narrow-minded.
Abe Rosenzweig
Curb your ego
Kew Gardens: It was hard to imagine that the city could be worse than when it was run by Bill de Blasio. Eric Adams, an egoistic dandy, has managed to exceed him. With all his braggadocio, he has proven to have all the substance of a Wiffle ball. But he thinks he’s doing just fine. He needs to start asking others, if his ego allows, for ideas because his toolbox is empty.
Phil Serpico