Discuss real problem

Another school shooting. Another “now is not the time to talk about it,” or ever. No one wants to talk about what I believe to be the real problem, the NRA. The National Rifle Association has sold its soul for power and money. It has no conscience. Sadly, it seems the Republican Party is controlled by the NRA and refuses to stand up to the gun lobby. You will never hear a Republican congressman even mention the words gun control.

The only way we the people can change this connection is by voting the Republicans out of office and saying no to the NRA. Maybe then we can pass some common-sense laws and get the assault rifles off the market.

I can hear the excuses flying now, “they are going to take my guns,” etc., etc. You have to make a tough decision. Are you going to vote against the NRA and try to help eliminate school shootings, or continue to send the same people to Washington and almost guarantee we will have more school shootings? JOHN JEFFERIES

Little Rock in schools, I think more can be done.

The school I attended didn’t have counseling and things other schools had. While it enforced the bullying policy, it really didn’t take it seriously for me. I thought it would have helped the people that come forward who said people would be talking about them and things like that. For example, my ninth-grade classmate was bullied. She was teased about how she looked and how she was dressed. She would hide in the bathroom and skip class and cry. One day I think she had enough when she went in the bathroom and never came back out. A girl found her on the bathroom floor after she tried to kill herself by taking multiple pills.

We all knew about her situation, but nobody said anything. Thank God she’s alive and well today.

For things to change, we must wake up. Get involved. Kids need to communicate with parents more. The school principal and teachers should take matters in their hands very seriously. They should not just say, “Oh, well, I’m taking your recess away.” The parents should immediately be notified and then they should take some action if nothing is done. CHELSEA HOLIDAY Little Rock