A time for outrage
The killing of 14 teenagers and three adults at a Parkland, Fla., high school Wednesday is not the once-in-a-generation story of unspeakable tragedy that it may have been decades ago or in another country. But one thing that distinguishes this mass shooting from others is our letter writers’ reaction to it.
So far, more than 200 printable letters to the editor have been submitted in response to the shooting. Most of the people who write to The Times after any given shooting tend not to be pro-gun, but even against that backdrop, the reaction by our readers has been notable for its outrage and extreme one-sidedness.
As of this writing, no more than five of the letters submitted after the Parkland shooting have expressed skepticism about increased gun control.
— Paul Thornton, letters editor
Redlands resident Kim Eifert Krogstad makes a grim comparison:
Other countries have mentally ill people capable of harming others. Other countries have young people who have been bullied or attacked by fellow students and are filled with rage. Other countries have despondent people who have
given up on life and want to go out in a blaze of glory.
But other countries do not have the kind of school shootings that we have here in the United States. The difference is that in the United States, we value our guns more than our children.
Paul Smith of Milwaukee, Wis., calls for naming congressional names:
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) may bear more responsibility than any lawmaker for the school shooting in Florida. He was the lead sponsor of a standalone bill that passed both houses of Congress in 2017 making it easier for people with mental illness to buy a gun.
Why don’t you publish a list of all those members of Congress who received money from the National Rifle Assn., gun manufacturers and other pro-gun groups?
Donald E. Williams of Costa Mesa says he had to stop driving because of his anger:
Upon hearing the news of yet another school massacre on my car radio, I had to pull off the road because of my anger and anguish. I no longer have kids in school, but I have grandchildren who will be at risk because of this insane violence. It breaks my heart.
If the Republican-controlled Congress and President Trump do not do something substantive now to address this national disgrace, the letters NRA will forever stand for “National Republican Army.”
Yucca Valley resident Patricia Freter encourages students affected by school shootings:
To all you students who are made to run from school with your hands up: Study, go to college, get a degree and run for office. Give us something other than “thoughts and prayers.”
Tim Bradley of Altadena puts a new twist on an old saying:
Guns don’t die; people do.