A line has been crossed regarding weaponry
The country is wrestling with the aftermath of yet another massacre committed with the “troubled person” weapon of choice — the AR-15. I am tired of the arguments favoring these weapons:
“Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” Yes, deranged people commit these acts, but an assault rifle with large-capacity magazines makes it easy to kill of people. That is exactly what these weapons are designed to do.
“I want it for self or home defense.” Are you expecting a gang? The sound of a 12-gauge shotgun racking a shell into the chamber will scare off most intruders, not to mention its effectiveness.
“I need it to guard against the transgressions of a tyrannical government.” Dude, your AR15 ain’t gonna save you. They’ve got tanks and jet fighters.
“It is my Second Amendment right.” The Second Amendment does not say you can own military-grade weapons. Can you own a tank or jet fighter? It says: “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.” There is nothing well-regulated or militia-like about some yahoo with an AR-15.
The line between military hardware and private citizen weaponry has been breached. I call on both my liberal conservative friends to put pressure on their government representatives to reinstate the ban on assault-type weapons and large-capacity magazines. This is one step that can begin to address the problem of mass shootings inour besieged country.
BOB SCHURKO Mount Washington
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help make this happen. Are we willing to work with those young men and women to make schools safe for our children? Isn’t it time to put a stop to the daily shootings as well as the mass shootings that are happening all too often in this country?
Let’s not wait for it to happen again. BARBARA WATSON Scott
Yes, it’s the guns ... it is absolutely the guns. But it is all of us. We must hold ourselves accountable for not paying attention and being silent when our neighbors, students, family members and friends ache for our help and we don’t notice.
We, then, become the village idiots who in stupidity ignore what’s right in front: the kid at the edge of the lunch table whom no one likes, the reclusive neighbor who hoards, the angry shopper who yells at a baby, the person who leaves silently and alone from a gathering — maybe even church — or a spouse who keeps it all inside.
In this season of Lent or in any season, it’s important to awaken to the very basic needs of inclusion, acceptance, community and love. These needs, unfulfilled and unnoticed, are the reasons for violence. Get rid of the guns. ANN BOYD Indiana Township
It is with heartfelt sorrow that I learned that McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores is closing its two remaining locations (March 1, “McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores Are Closing”). I have been a patron of McGinnis Sisters for the past 25 years and loved supporting their small independent food market.
Among my grocery shopping excursions, I chose McGinnis Sisters because they regularly offered local produce, excellent specialty food from salads to pasta to homemade bakery-style breads, soups and house specialties made from family recipes. What’s more, I consistently purchased seafood and poultry from them based upon my knowledge of the Sisters buying from suppliers who supported humane farming.
When you say “McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores,” I say “a brand of excellence.” Thank you, McGinnis Sisters. MARYBETH MILLER
Duquesne Heights