DONNA VIDRINE, San Clemente
I am heartbroken over the unspeakable loss of lives in Texas last week. If we cannot protect our children, where is the freedom gifted to us by the sacrifice of nine generations of Americans?
Some politicians refuse to do anything despite repeated massacres of children by killers armed with weapons of war while draped with body armor meant for combat.
Some politicians have traded election victories for the lives of children. They exalt the protection of gun ownership over the safety of children. They have contributed to the deaths of innocent children by protecting gun industry profits above all else this past week.
To the NRA: I had hoped you would have found the human decency to cancel your annual celebration this week, and allow the grieving parents and community of Uvalde to mourn and bury their dead.
It is time to act. We owe it to the innocent children killed last week in Texas—and to every child returning to school today who trusts that the adults in their lives will protect them.
Buffalo, New York. Laguna Woods, California. Uvalde, Texas.
This death toll will keep rising until firearms become less easily available. We are seeing the opposite happening, as semi-automatic weapons become revered as if they represent freedom.
In truth, they represent fear, intimidation, and tyranny. The Gun Lobby remains a powerful force in American politics. As a country, we have failed to pass universal background checks and common-sense gun safety legislation to keep our communities safe from the epidemic of gun violence.
Ban assault weapons. Pass common-sense gun laws. Stand up to the gun lobby. Act! It’s about power, money and political will. Stop gun violence.
