The writer of a recent letter (“Students Shamelessly Used”) makes assertions I believe should be challenged.
She misses the point of Emily Menshew’s sign.
It’s not about taking the writer’s guns.
The students simply won’t tolerate further inaction in addressing America’s dysfunctional, loophole-laden system of gun regulation.
They’re calling out the tragic hypocrisy of lawmakers who take gun lobby money and then stonewall meaningful reform.
Avoiding relevance, the writer suggests some link between the PROMISE program and the Parkland tragedy, though it’s unclear to what degree she imposes blame.
Regardless, it’s an illogical attempt to deflect attention from root causes of gun violence.
In the Feb. 26 South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Broward Schools superintendent stated the alleged shooter was not part of the PROMISE program (“Nikolas Cruz refused mental health services once he reached 18, Runcie says,” Sun-Sentinel, Feb. 26).
The letter writer feels “common sense gun laws” already in place can prevent gun violence.
Oh, of course!
These would be the laws that thwarted Stephen Paddock from amassing an enormous arsenal for the Las Vegas massacre.
That prevented Devin Kelley, with a bad conduct military discharge, from buying his weapon to murder 26 churchgoers in Texas last November (“Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley’s troubled past emerges,” CNN, Nov. 8)?
The Florida laws that blocked a troubled 19-year old Nikolas Cruz from buying an assault-style rifle?
I applaud the students’ courage in their nationwide campaign.
Details must be worked out, but what they advocate will benefit everyone because gun violence isn’t limited to schools.
Emily and her colleagues stand on the right side of history.
Van A. Maxwell,
Port Angeles