January 26

Grappling with escalation of violence

Letter to the Editor

The need to grapple with the current escalation of violence on a national scale is unprecedented and requires collaborative effort.

* The right to gun ownership -- why not compare this to the right to own and drive a car? We do have that right, but every car needs to be registered and every driver must prove his qualifications. Arms are more dangerous than cars and should be subject to the same regulations.

* Caring for the mentally ill -- experience shows the need to provide troubled individuals and their families with easy accessibility to appropriate help in times of stress, with close supervision by social workers, doctors and pharmacists.

* Entertainment industry -- the glorification of violence by every aspect of the entertainment industry, the constant repetition of war scenes on the evening news, violence and rudeness in publicity contribute to our culture of death.

* Needs for hunting and self-defense -- what type of gun is really necessary to kill a rabbit or a moose? For self-defense, pepper spray and Tasers are not deadly, and can be highly effective, according to official sources. However, they are scarcely ever mentioned.

President George H.W. Bush had it right when he called on us to become a gentler, kinder nation. Let's work at it together.

 

Sr. Catherine Marie Caron, Waterville

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send question/comment to the editors




Further Discussion

Here at KJonline.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most…