Somers wanted bump-stock bill that was fair Discuss the issues, don’t shove people
Regarding the letter, “Gun vote convinced him to oppose Somers,” (Sept. 7), to not support state Sen. Heather Somers’ re-election campaign because she voted against the Connecticut bump stock ban is deeply disturbing.
First of all, Heather supports strong background checks, supports mental health services for those in need, and strong school security for children and school administrators. These are the hallmarks of what a state senator should support. She also supports a notion that was set as precedent in colonial times and still applies today. That notion is “No taxation without representation.” Semi-automatic rifle bump stocks, which can increase their cyclical rate of fire, have been banned in Connecticut. This was passed in the Senate by Democrats with some Republican support for “public safety.” All well and good right? Not so fast. Many bump stocks were purchased within the state perfectly legally by Federal Firearm Licensed (FFL) dealers. These firearm modification devices roughly cost $500 each with the state getting their cut of the sales tax revenues. Now they are banned.
Where is the reimbursement for the items? I will support Somers for her approach on looking at all sides of the issue with reasonable solutions. James Davis Mystic
What happened to the values and traits we teach our children? What happened to civil discourse, intelligent debate and discussion, understanding and respecting the points of view of others?
From the videos I saw before and during the New London gubernatorial debate Sept. 12, which included shoving in the streets outside the Garde Arts Center, people’s behaviors were awful. If that was me, I would be embarrassed. Imagine your kids acting like that at school. Would you condone it?
If this behavior predicts what to expect during this campaign, Connecticut is in for a divisive, angry, hateful time, like what we see on the national level.
Try a little experiment. When discussing the topics with someone opposing your views, picture yourself talking to one of your young children. Give the same respect to the opposing view. Take the time to understand what they are saying. Ask the intelligent, probing questions. What taxes are we going to eliminate and how can we not replace them with other taxes? What services are we going to reduce to offset our high cost of living? How are we going to improve our infrastructure?
Don’t waste time with angry rhetoric. Don’t shove people. Let’s fix these complex problems. Allan Elms Waterford