The right to bear arms is paramount to maintaining freedom in this country: Letters

The right to bear arms is paramount to maintaining freedom in this country

June 16 — To the Editor:

Patriotic Americans are deeply troubled and distressed over the loss of life and consequent anguish caused by the unnecessary killing of innocent people in our country. Death is a very sobering event, especially when it is close and personal. To lose a family member at a young age claims a part of you for the rest of your life.

Mass shootings by troubled individuals continue to plague our society because we have not addressed the root cause of these actions. The seemingly innocuous deterioration of our culture by the breakdown of family, the lack of personal responsibility exhibited by recent generations and the loss of morality cultivated by those in power have turned our melting pot of cohesiveness into divisiveness and individuality. We give notoriety to convicted criminals. Catch and release guarantees interaction with law enforcement, which typically turns into headlines without reflection or fact.

The troubled individuals that perpetrated these attacks on our society did not appear overnight. They did not simply wake up one day and become demented. Their peculiar behavior was telegraphed, in personal demeanor and internet postings to their families, friends and peers, prior to their actions. There were times when teaching staff and/or law enforcement were aware of a potential problem with these individuals prior to the attacks, without any action taken.

In the latest attack at Uvalde, local incompetency failed to stop the perpetrator before he entered the building. So after all this ignorance, irrational perception pinned the problem on guns again. Responsible gun ownership is ignored. But, those in power seize these attacks as an opportunity to further limit our God-given rights embedded in the Constitution. Do not blame other individuals for your ignorance and inaction. This will not solve the problem and perpetuates divisiveness in our community. There are no laws that will keep guns and other weapons out of the hands of criminals and/or demented people intent on carrying out these heinous acts. Weapons laws only serve to penalize law abiding Americans. After the murder by auto incident in Waukesha, Wisconsin, we did not demand that autos be banned. These attacks on our society demand rational thought and comprehensive planning. The right to bear arms is paramount to maintaining our freedom in this country. Do not beg the people in power to take away our freedom.

All community, all politics, all love and understanding does not start with a village, it begins at home. Stop blaming everyone else and bear the responsibility so the real problems can be solved.

Don LeFante

York, Maine

Redistricting map unfairly forces out hard-working commissioner

June 16 — To the Editor:

To the citizens of Rockingham County,

I feel the need to express the effects of the recent redistricting. I had the pleasure of working with Tom N. Tombarello for six years as a county commissioner. For all the energy I put into the job, Commissioner Tombarello put even more. Tom has committed himself as a true public servant and is always available. I had intended to run again as county commissioner until I saw the new redistricting map, which puts me in the same district as Tom Tombarello. I assured Tom that I would not run against him, as he does the job better than I could at this point since I work full-time as a firefighter. It was an easy decision as I know firsthand the dedication that Commissioner Tombarello puts in for the citizens of Rockingham County.

To hear that Tom Tombarello, a Rockingham County commissioner for 10 years, is ineligible to run is a travesty. Not only is this devastating to Tom, but also a disservice to the residents of Rockingham County who re-elected him repeatedly.

More: ‘Devastated’: Rockingham County Commissioner Tom Tombarello losing seat to redistricting

I do not understand the methodology behind this decision. It negates all the work he has done and sets up a colossal battle of two sitting commissioners running against each other. There is a simple fix; appoint the sitting District 3 Commissioner as District 2, as they moved his town into a new district, and have the election in District 3. Perhaps this is too logical. I’m just applying the same common sense that I used as a county commissioner.

Kevin P. St. James

Kingston

Special meeting for 'newish' Rye residents, June 30 at 7 p.m.

June 17 — To the Editor:

The Rye Civic League will be holding another “Newish in Rye” event to help newish in Rye residents meet others and have the opportunity to learn more about what is happening in their community. Rye residents are encouraged to come to Kooks on Ocean Blvd at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 30. Kooks is a few doors down from Petey’s Red Roof market past the Wallis Rd./Ocean Blvd intersection.

The Rye Civic League (RCL) normally meets at a local establishment the last Wednesday of the month, but a change in the Select Board meeting is pushing the monthly meeting to Thursday. The remaining copies of the 2021 Citizen’s Handbook will be available as the 2022 updates will not be available until later in the Summer. Rye Resident Mae Bradshaw created and has been annually updating the Citizens Handbook along with the Rye Civic League. Many more Citizen’s Handbooks are published each year thanks to Civic League Member support and sponsors Madden Real Estate and Webster at Rye.

From assembling the monthly Rye Civic News e-mail newsletter that summarizes the key points from the past month from the Select Board, Planning, Schools, Conservation, Zoning, Library and the rest of town meetings, the Civic League Board and the other volunteer contributors will be available to address most questions residents may have. The monthly RCL business meeting concludes by 7 p.m. and then there is a lively open discussion about what is going on in Rye.

Not everyone in Rye gets the Portsmouth Herald or the Rye Civic News, so residents are encouraged to reach out to new neighbors so they feel welcome joining the “Newish in Rye” event. Shannon Murphy, the spouse of RCL Board Member Lydia Tisley, attends most monthly RCL meetings saying there is so much he learns from the conversations.

More information and the sign-up to be added to the free Rye Civic News distribution is available at ryecivicleague.org.

Steven Borne

Rye

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Right to bear arms is key to maintaining freedom in the US: Letters