Letters to the Editor | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Letters to the Editor

Gun control and investigation into Russian election tampering

Gun Control

Candidate Trump stated since he carries a pistol, he would have shot the assailant in that nightclub multiple shooting. Now that he is President, and his powers have increased, he says he would have subdued the Florida shooter, even if unarmed. (He will soon add a cape to his usual business suit.) So obviously, his Secret Service protection detail is another example of wasteful government spending and should be eliminated immediately.  

In a related matter:  I assume the Congressional Office Building is provided with weapons prohibitions, armed security guards, metal detectors, etc.  (I could be wrong.)

My proposal is the gun rights beliefs be physically as well as philosophically established—there will be two sections to the building: the Temporary Confiscations Section, which will continue the current security measures, and the Open Carry Section which will allow guns since an armed America is a Safer America, and occupants will be protected from armed Evildoers by random good guys with guns. Temporary Confiscations Section office holders will be pledged to vote for any increased gun control legislation, and Open Carry Section office holders will be pledged to fully protect the 2nd Amendment. As our President says, Let's see what happens.

—Ted Suen

Why a Gun?

The Second Amendment, of course, but the Second Amendment was written when indeed the citizens of this country had fought for their independence. And the gun of choice at the time was a musket. The Second Amendment has served its purpose and is no longer a reasonable element of our society to support.  

Yes I know, for some of us it's fun to own and shoot a gun, been there done that. However what do most of us want a gun for? Mostly to hunt, unfortunately for most of us that's incredibly lame. Putting meat in the freezer while working a full time job might sound nice but really not a survival requirement. Yeah getting out in the woods is nice but killing for the fun of killing is sick. So who really benefits from the proliferation of all kinds of guns available to the populace, military weaponry included,? Bottom lines of course, starting with the NRA.  

The word "available" is mostly the problem with our current situation with gun violence. Background checks, not so much. The complexity of effective background checks renders them basically ineffective. Why is it so hard to legislate reasonable laws to mollify this severe human fallacy? The cause, special interests in politics starting with the NRA, their money that is, inhibits our elected officials. If this unfortunate self interest is eliminated then there might be a reasonable chance to legislate rational laws that would mitigate so much unreasonable horror. 

It seems that greed is an excepted concept of business, and the free market is worshipped. Hopefully we can change these concepts and be eternally on guard against the siren song of self-interest if we wish to live in a fair and equitable society.

—Ted Winchel

Investigation into Russian election tampering

Dear President Trump,

Here's my analogy for your response to the Russia investigation. If you move into a house and someone says, "I think there's a rat's nest in your garage," a reasonable person does not say "What rats?" alternating with "They're not my rats." A responsible person calls an exterminator and cooperates fully with the exterminator's recommendations, before the rats move into the kitchen and run around on the table stealing your toast while you're trying to eat breakfast. Anyone who responds with indifference or denial should expect people to assume they are comfortable sleeping with rats.

Patriotically yours,

—Carol Elwood

In response to "Kudos to the Superintendent for a Call to Action on School Shootings," 3/2

I am heartened that so many people and companies from all walks of life are coming together on this!

We have been doing ZERO and have made no changes since all of these shootings have started and the head in the sand approach is obviously not working! 

We need to work together and pay attention and VOTE these do nothing fools out of office!!

—Loni Van Duzer, via Facebook

In response to "If Allowed, Raccoons Will Stay," 2/21

I once had the opportunity to raise a raccoon from infancy, eyes still closed. I was completely successful in rehabilitating her into the wild. She did come back, but not to cause mischief, but just to visit a bit and then leave again.

—Jessie Reynolds

In response to "Proposed Apartment Building Draws Ire," 2/27 at Bendsource.com

Ok.....powers that be and all you in other areas shoved the OSU on our block AND a 5 story hotel on the other end of the block...that's a perfect place to build apts...we need it, you know for the 5,000 students coming to OSU....

—Judy Ann Lear, via Facebook

Bend seems to have survived the development of Awbrey Butte, NWX, Century West, Tetherow, and so on just fine, but some apartments will cause everything to come to a halt...?

Just to remind everyone, here's a map of Bend some 40 odd years ago. We have one new bridge since then, and 10's of thousands more people, and yet most days it's still pretty quick to get around.

I wonder why people don't get so upset over new single-family home subdivisions?

—David N. Welton, via Facebook

The Letter of the Week most certainly has to go to David this time around, for one, for being a steady voice on our Facebook thread on this story for days. And for being reasonable and informative on said thread, of course. Come on down for your gift card to Palate! If you have to deal with all that big city traffic, endemic parking issues and other scary urban problems to get here... o wait, you won't. ...

­— Nicole Vulcan, Editor


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