Letters to the editor for July 3

Olympian readers
·3 min read

Assault weapons must go to stop mass murders

Must it once again take a mass murder of innocent children to convince American gun owners and our members of Congress to stop ignoring the real change needed in our approach to gun control in America?

While raising age limits for purchasing guns, strengthening school security, and passing red flag laws are needed, these measures will not stop the repeated murdering of our children because the reality is there are more than 20 million military assault-style weapons in the hands of private citizens in this country. The carnage will continue until there are federal laws that make it illegal to own those weapons and governmental programs to collect and destroy them.

Why must the citizens of our state wait for the federal government to pass laws making the ownership and purchase of military assault-style weapons illegal? Can our Washington legislature lead the way to not make them illegal in Washington?

Jo Ann Mitchell Young, Olympia

Next steps after overturning Roe

It’s time now for the people who rejoiced at the overturning of Roe v. Wade to turn their attention to other matters — in no particular order:

  • Maternal/paternal leave;

  • Affordable housing;

  • Affordable child care;

  • A workable food stamp-type program;

  • Building of more schools/school budgets for teachers, bus drivers, counselors, etc.;

  • Continuation of free school lunches;

  • Affordable nearby medical care;

  • No-cost internet access for school-age children.

Many of the women denied abortions will be young, not at the peak of their earning potential. It is imperative that young men be taught responsibility for fathering a child, not given a pat on the back and told, “Good job, now you’re a man.” Since the number of single-family households will be increasing, so will the need for our society to help them.

Yes, it will mean higher taxes, not only federal, but state and local. Perhaps the pro-life people will be agreeable to “adopting” a child in need, and paying each month for food, clothing, medical, education, housing and on and on. A firm commitment of perhaps $300 a month from birth to age 18. That will keep the tax burden down somewhat. Any chance of that happening?

Linda Nicholas, Olympia

Ideals versus actions

Late-arriving naturalized U.S. citizens learn of America’s putrid past, its contradictory actions reaching far into 2022: pro guns and anti-abortion.

In 1776, Southern states insisted the 2nd Amendment covered their rights to bear arms to keep revolting slaves in place. A split between South and North has been perpetuated from the start. Suppressed evidence of vile rapes and murders, land snitches declared as heroic wins, and ongoing exploitation became mainstream, until those adversely affected spoke up!

To me, logic escapes when abortion rights are downsized, especially for people of color, the very ones white extremists like to shoot. There is nothing Christian in that. Jesus had no guns.

More unwanted births are threatening our planet and environment. Where is logic, common sense and empathy in all of this contradictory behavior? When will people be genuinely waking up to actually live our idealistic statements by including everyone so as to truly make American “great”?

Helge Teske, Olympia