NO NEED FOR THESE TYPES OF WEAPONS AMONG CIVILIANS

I had to respond to a submission because it was so coherent and fact-based. Kudos to the author for injecting reason instead of the NRA position on weaponry and congressional “inaction” (“COMMUNITY VOICES: More truth than humor,” April 14).

There simply is no need for the numbers and types of guns spread across our country, but if anyone wants to fire semi- or fully-automatic weapons, the military would happily welcome your enlistment! I know I would have graciously changed places with anyone with such a desire when I was a combat infantryman in Vietnam.

— Ted Johnson, Tehachapi

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

I like the word bamboozled and have used it in describing politicians and telemarketers. The interesting thing about bamboozlers is there is never a need to confirm their outlandish statements.

One statement (which is the epitome of bamboozlement) is the statement that tells us the highspeed rail connection between San Francisco and Los Angeles is affordable and will be a colossal money maker. This colossal money maker is unable to generate one dollar of private investment and has underestimated the rail project cost by billions. But the economically challenged group (advisers) realize the project must be started.

History tells them leverage is needed and the carrot is a connection from Bakersfield to Merced, which is already in progress. Once this connection is completed, it will be a high-speed rail for low wage earners. Whose major desire is to travel from Bakersfield to Merced and back at warp speed (as Captain Kirk would say)? Does this project sound like a real money maker to you? The connection (Bakersfield to Merced) will be the leverage needed to force the California legislators and the governor to switch the bill to the state taxpayers and to implore the federal government to use federal tax dollars to save this worthless project.

Try not to scream when the governor reminds you that you voted for high-speed rail.