Thursday, May 9, 2024
Letter to Gatesville Messenger Editor
Another school shooting. Fact: over 300 children ages 3-12 have been killed by guns since January of THIS YEAR.
FACT: We are the ONLY country in the world that has this problem.
We know that many mass shooters do in fact have mental and/or emotional issues, and are angry, wounded, resentful, revengeful, isolated, etc. This has been used tirelessly as the reason for our national problem of mass murders. And yes, we definitely need to focus on this very real problem and provide more resources for those in need of them.
But for heaven’s sake, why do we need AR style military rifles, designed to obliterate as many bodies as possible in the shortest time possible, for sale and owned by ordinary citizens? We are very slow in catching on that this is the difference in our country and others who do not experience these mass murders. In schools, in grocery stores, in movie theaters, at concerts, in churches … there is no place that is safe anymore. Actually, most of us, about 80% according to polls, do get this, but unfortunately there is such huge pressure exerted on our legislators, most notably from the NRA, to continue to allow these killing machines in our society, and to resist common sense gun laws, which, again, polls say even the vast majority of gun owners support.
I call upon everyone who is heartsick and tired of these weekly, daily, even, murders to exert your own pressure upon our legislators to, once and for all, stand up for the children, and all other victims of gun violence. We should not think that this could not happen in our town, and to our own children and grandchildren.
It’s time to DO SOMETHING!
Rosemary Whittle
Gatesville
