LETTERS

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WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

It appears to me that the terrorist attack in San Bernardino was a workplace violence attack committed by a terrorist that lost his focus because of disagreements at work. The number of pipe bombs, the set-up to make more plus the large number of rounds of ammunition suggests the couple intended to make more attacks and possibly supply bombs and ammunition to other terrorists.

It doesn’t make sense to make an attack at your workplace, where someone could identify you. The carnage in the attack was bad enough but may have been worse in the long run if they had made attacks at other places where they were not known. Tyre W. Rees Springfield

THE ENEMY IS US

Shortly after the California rampage I received an email titled “Time to get your conceal carry.” Among other things, it said, “Get a gun, take some lessons or refresher classes and get your conceal carry permit. If you’re fortunate to live in a state where you don’t need a permit, check out the less-enlightened states so you don’t accidentally fall foul of their rules if you have to travel through them. … Get a gun. Get trained. Get concealed.”

I have several responses to this, which I tried to send, but the answer was blocked. Therefore, here are my thoughts.

1. If more guns make us safer, we should be the safest country in the world. Why aren’t we?

2. When Illinois passed the concealed carry law, a friend of mine, who happens to be an NRA member, said, “Now that everyone can carry, Chicago shootings will diminish.” Need I comment on that?

3. The Second Amendment states, “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.” I admit the wording is awkward, but I do notice the words “well-regulated” and “militia.” The NRA tends to omit that first part.

4. As for people’s right to bear arms, do I not have the right to have people not bear arms? That bearing arms thing hasn’t worked out too well. (In case you are a hunter, I am not addressing this to you, so just stay cool.) Our country spends more time and effort protecting the unborn and yetto-be conceived than it does protecting people like me.

I will close by quoting Walt Kelly’s comic strip character, Pogo the opossum: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Sarah Thomas Springfield

ACCESS TO GUNS

What about Oklahoma City, the Sandy Hook school shooting, Charleston, and on and on?

When are they going to face the fact that terrorists of all kinds come here and live here for one reason: they can get their hands on guns easily. More importantly, they can buy ammunition without anyone caring. I can’t buy Sudafed without it being tracked and with proper ID.

No one wants to look at real facts. No news reporters ask basic questions. How can you stop terrorists if our Congress will not stop them from buying guns legally? People already on our terrorist list can buy ammunition; they can’t buy too much Sudafed, though. How can we deter anyone when they can purchase thousands of rounds of ammunition? How can you tell if someone coming in is a Christian or a radical Christian that randomly kills our citizens that are Catholic, Sikh or Buddhist? Basically, we do not care, as we let them gun down children in Sandy Hook and did nothing. Why is it, when the risk is much larger, we do not deter Americans killing en mass at theaters, schools, shopping centers? How can we say those lives are less important? Those shooting take more lives than foreign terrorists.

This is a gun problem. Now we have a supposed presidential candidate making them hate us more with his ignorance and condemnation of all Muslims. When are we going to stop lies from being broadcast as truths, and bring back dignity and reliability to our news media? Nancy Long Springfield