Florida shooting - letters call for grass roots reforms

Three echoes from The Seattle Times letters to the editor

Maine Writer "echoes", blogged from letters published in the opinion pages of randomly read newspapers. Many thanks to these and the many dozens of eloquent opinion writers.

Readers weighed in:

Children shall lead us

We are witnessing a remarkable political role reversal. The adults — the president and every legislator suckling at the National Rifle Association teat — have acted like children, incapable of action. These elected “children” voice nothing so strongly as their can’t-do attitude when they insist that “it’s too soon to talk about gun legislation.”

In contrast, the children — the high school students so brutally stung by the shooting deaths of their friends and teachers in Parkland, Florida — have acted like the adults. Determined, focused and full of purpose, they are transforming their grief into their Never Again network and staring into the television lens with a can-do attitude that is remarkably refreshing. Their friends shall not have died in vain.  ~ John R. Scannell, Sammamish

Grass-roots advocacy to oppose the National Rifle Association

Even teenagers in our community know resistance to change in our gun laws comes from the powerful and well-funded NRA.

In the 2016 general election, the NRA spent more than $50 million supporting certain Republicans and opposing certain Democrats.*

How do you overcome such a powerful lobby? Perhaps the anger after the Parkland, Florida, tragedy will be funneled into a grass-roots campaign against the NRA similar to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  ~ Raymond Wilson, Bellevue

Pray for action against gun violence

Kudos to Timothy Egan for his candid opinion in “Thoughts and prayers and lies” [Feb. 18, Opinion].

He emphasizes that this expression of condolence is meaningless without the offering of a remedy to stop the slaughter of Americans young and old.

Like Donald Trump, our legislators have turned a blind eye to ensuring the safety and security of our fellow citizens in numerous environments. Sadly, they are influenced by the millions of dollars paid to them by the powerful National Rifle Association to protect its selfish interests.

The time to mandate restricting the purchase of rifles like the AR-15 is long overdue. Each and every state must enforce background checks by all sellers for anyone regardless of age seeking any type of weapon.

Until our Congressional representatives man up to their sworn duties, this slaughter will continue. Perhaps the prayers they mention should be for them to do what they were elected to do.
~Liz Pribble, Tacoma
Ban Assault Weapons

Our children are being slaughtered while we numbly stand by and do nothing. Enough is enough. Assault rifles are weapons of mass destruction. Mass destruction of our children and our fellow citizens. It’s long past time to completely and permanently ban assault rifles. It’s time for men to grow up, be responsible and caring fathers and admit that their shiny toys are butchering our children.

I understand the fascination with assault rifles. I bought an AR-15 back in 1979, kept it for a few years and then sold it. But it was a different time, a different era. I realize most assault-rifle owners are responsible, but it only takes a few who aren’t.

And lastly, to my fellow Americans who are Republicans: You have the blood of our children and fellow citizens on your hands. Your politicians are the lap dogs for the NRA and refuse to consider gun-control laws. Why has Congress not outlawed bump stocks? They talk about mental illness but refuse to fund mental-health programs, instead busting the deficit with tax cuts for the rich.

To err is human, to forgive divine. Amid the blood, carnage and anguish, I cannot forgive. ~ Larry Bundy, Everett

*MaineWriter ~ It makes sense for the NRA to put their blood money into much more constructive ways for preventing gun violence.