When will leaders work to make America safe again?

I was enjoying Wednesday, my day off from teaching, by riding my exercise bike and reading my latest library book: “Only Child” by Rhiannon Navin, a story about a school shooting; CNN played in the background. Suddenly, I entered the Twilight Zone — where fiction became reality. Another school shooting, this one in Florida. More students killed, injured, traumatized. More families emotionally broken.

I had hoped that the tragedy of Sandy Hook would make a difference — would motivate Congress to do something about the easy access to guns, but my hope proved groundless. When will our lawmakers take a stand against guns? When will they understand that the Second Amendment is being abused by all of the shooters who kill innocent children and adults?

Instead of worrying about making America great again, let’s focus on making America — including its schools, theaters, concert venues and religious sites — safe again. RONNA L. EDELSTEIN

Oakland

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mental health issues, but mass killings don’t happen there because of strict gun control.

The position that banning assault riffles would be a “slippery slope” is patently ridiculous. Even if it were not, I would rather have a slippery slope on gun rights than a slippery slope on the rights of our children to be safe at school or anywhere else. PHIL LaRUSSE Lower Burrell