Letters to the Editor: Uvalde cops milled around during a mass shooting. That's unforgivable
To the editor: That some of the children had injuries that were treatable and probably survivable if the police in Uvalde, Texas, hadn't milled around indecisively outside the classroom door for almost an hour, and that a little girl covered herself with her classmate's blood in order to survive, are sickening beyond words.
How will she, the other survivors and all of the families of Uvalde be able to live with this knowledge?
The entire town should file wrongful-death suits against the gun shop that sold the weapon; the gun manufacturer; the Uvalde police force; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who denies that the type of gun used was the problem; and the Republican Party, whose refusal to consider even the most reasonable gun control measures before more children are slaughtered makes it responsible for this nightmare.
Jennifer Rabuchin, Burbank
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To the editor: Nineteen children and two teachers sacrificed their lives for the armed but spineless police officers who were waiting, waiting, waiting for their commander to give the order.
Not so with Dr. John Cheng at the church in Laguna Woods, where a mass shooter targeted a group of Taiwanese churchgoers on May 19. Not waiting for orders from others nor carrying any weapons, but armed only with his courage and his conviction, Dr. Cheng was killed that day when he attacked the gunman and undoubtedly saved many lives.
The Uvalde officers did not have the strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger. They will live forever in shame.
Vivien Irving, Huntington Beach
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To the editor: I had never felt sickened reading articles in The Times until now. Nineteen fourth-graders and two teachers died after some of them pleaded for help.
It's not The Times' reporting that's making me sick; rather, it's the facts themselves.
I am a retired first-grade teacher. When the Columbine mass killing happened in 1999, I secretly planned how to shield my students if confronted by an active shooter. I hoped to God that this mental exercise of mine would trigger an automatic response if a tragedy actually happened. The teachers in Uvalde practiced it.
I am sickened that America continues to allow a vocal minority to diminish the majority's right to live in safety even after learning that children inside that classroom pleaded for help. We stand by and let it happen over and over.
Every decent teacher in America knows an impulsive teenager should not have unsupervised access to an assault rifle.
Kathryn Anderson, Costa Mesa
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
