Horrible to report more serial massacres caused by unbridled gun violence

July 4, 2022- more gun violence now in the most unlikely community - Highland Park Illinois! So soon after Uvalde's massacre where 19 children were murdered.  

One of the Uvalde victims' mothers warned us- "it can happen to you". Americans live in a gun culture. Although all gun violence is preventable, it is clear that our freedom from fear of gun violence is NOT among the rights we are granted in our Constitution. 

Moreover, Kimberly and Felix Rubio, parents of Lexi Rubio, one of the students who died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, testified virtually, calling for members to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, to raise the age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21 years of age, to implement red flag laws and to strengthen background checks and to repeal gun manufacturers liability immunity.

Calls for help in Uvalde, Texas

Two opinion letters published in the Uvalde Leader-News

School district police Chief Arrendondo’s decision to “wait for reinforcements” was a cowardly act, and a death sentence for 19 children and two teachers.

His decision was contrary to rapid response and established law enforcement policy. I don’t think Arrendondo is qualified perform a menial task, let alone be a police chief or councilman. (Maine Writer: So,  Arrendondo said he didn't know he was the incident commander at the shooting scene in Uvalde Elementary School!  That is an impossible and cowardly statement, from a man who has clearly resorted to telling the community a lie about his important role at the scene! His training has taught him otherwise. He was the incident commander.)

CNN is now reporting that two children made a combined eight calls to 911 begging for help. Uvalde police did nothing except run and hide from danger.Uvalde police have now set a new record for cowardly behavior while on duty.

https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/articles/letters-to-the-editor-26/#:~:text=Uvalde%20police%20did%20nothing%20except%20run%20and%20hide%20from%20danger

From Darrell K. Lilja in Sun City Arizona

Killing weapons- better known as "guns"

I was born and raised in Uvalde, graduating from high school there almost 50 years ago. Having been brought up in a ranching family just outside of town, you could say we lived in a well-established gun culture. Our pick-ups regularly carried bolt action deer rifles in the highly visible gun rack behind the seat, along with a shotgun for killing rattlesnakes. We never kept more than a handful of shells with us at any time.

During a press conference following the recent massacre at Robb Elementary, Gov. Abbott (reading from a carefully prepared statement!) defended current gun laws by stating that 18-year-olds have always been able to purchase “long guns” in the state of Texas.

He conveniently left out the fact that current gun culture has expanded to include easy access to weapons of war, the kind that an 18 year old can use to cower several armed cops, take over an entire campus, and destroy the lives of 21 families.

My dad served in World War II, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and earned a Purple Heart before returning to Uvalde. He of course knew about and used weapons specifically designed for killing other humans. If he were still around, I imagine he would be saying something like, “How in God’s name did that boy get his hands on that weapon?”

What would you need that for, except to kill people?”

From Jack Marsh in Brackettville in Texas