Letter to the editor: Demand action toward a safer America

Here we live in the United States of America, a land that beckoned my ancestors for its freedoms and opportunities for economic success. But what has happened to this "land of the free?"

During my youth on the near east side of Detroit, I was able to walk to a school where there were no armed police. Even in high school, I could walk that mile to/from school dances that ended at 11 p.m. What a romantic image that creates.

But look at 2022. Consider the dangers that our children face in our schools. Only a hermit has not heard of Sandy Hook or Uvalde. What happened to that carefree atmosphere of the 1950s?

Armed school guards. Metal detectors. Bomb threats. Conspiracies. We live in a war zone. Oh, yes. We need more assault weapons — great for killing humans, but not good for hunting unless one prefers mangled and unusable meat.

Now it’s not safe to shop. Just ask the folk in Buffalo. Or worship: Check out Charleston or Pittsburgh. Or travel by subway — try the New York experience. Even hospitals: Tulsa.

What a world we have created. The macho image with an assault rifle arouses excitement. Look at the Kenosha kid with his toy as he pranced down the street. Then there is the execrable political ad of Idaho’s lieutenant governor brandishing a rifle while holding the Bible — what happened to Jesus’ message of peace and mercy? Is it logical that one can purchase an assault rifle at 18 but not a beer?

Constitutional rights can be regulated just like our freedoms of speech, petition and assembly. I detest "thoughts and prayers" and demand action now. Let's end America's status as a haven for domestic terrorists. How can so-called pro-lifers also support the pro-murder, killer lobby?

T. Carl Sosnowski, North Canton

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Letter to the editor: Demand action toward a safer America