powerstrk
April 23, 2003, 01:43 PM
Coleman and the gun lobby
Sen. Norm Coleman's support for a bill blocking most lawsuits against the gun industry, calling it "Minnesota common sense," is outrageous (Star Tribune, April 20).
The bill in fact is a classic example of a powerful industrys and lobby buying congressional votes at the expense of the public welfare.
George Muellner, Plymouth.
Conceal, carry and kill
I would like to ask Dave Matheny ("Guns don't have power to cloud minds," April 20) how he can account for the 30,000 Americans who lose their lives to gun violence every year in our country?
On the average, more than eight children a day are killed because of gun violence. In Minnesota about 350 people a year die, 45 of them children.
These are not individuals fighting in wars. These are real, everyday Americans -- children and individuals who never owned a gun, who suffer because of the negligence, anger and carelessness of gun owners.
Many of our legislators are trying to change our current conceal-carry law.
The proposed conceal and carry legislation could add 90,000 more loaded handguns to our Minnesota public space in the next three years, according to the bill's author.
This legislation does take away a police chief's ability to say no to some individuals even Matheny feels should not be legally carrying loaded firearms. These are individuals where a hidden handgun could have the power to cloud a mind.
This conceal and carry legislation has nothing to do with a person's right to keep guns in the home, nor is it about hunting. It is about loaded handguns in our parks, libraries, school parking lots, government centers, and in automobiles.
The final legislation could even allow more legal handguns in shopping centers, churches, bars and the Metrodome.
The number of firearm deaths in our country and state is unacceptable. More loaded handguns in Minnesota will not make us safer.
Becky Wardell-Gaertner,Minneapolis.
Gun-free zones
Our state legislators are currently debating whether more people carrying more concealed weapons in our community is a good thing.
The church council of Pilgrims United Church of Christ in Maple Grove had that same debate last week.
It was a very brief debate, and I am afraid that at a table of very diverse, intelligent people from many different backgrounds, levels of education, income levels, and differing party affiliations, we could not muster a single voice in favor of this idea.
We further have designated our church building to be a "gun free" building. With the exception of law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties, guns are not welcome in our church.
We further encourage other churches, mosques, synagogues, schools and businesses to consider doing likewise.
Steven Hepokoski, Maple Grove.
:barf: :barf: :barf:
Sen. Norm Coleman's support for a bill blocking most lawsuits against the gun industry, calling it "Minnesota common sense," is outrageous (Star Tribune, April 20).
The bill in fact is a classic example of a powerful industrys and lobby buying congressional votes at the expense of the public welfare.
George Muellner, Plymouth.
Conceal, carry and kill
I would like to ask Dave Matheny ("Guns don't have power to cloud minds," April 20) how he can account for the 30,000 Americans who lose their lives to gun violence every year in our country?
On the average, more than eight children a day are killed because of gun violence. In Minnesota about 350 people a year die, 45 of them children.
These are not individuals fighting in wars. These are real, everyday Americans -- children and individuals who never owned a gun, who suffer because of the negligence, anger and carelessness of gun owners.
Many of our legislators are trying to change our current conceal-carry law.
The proposed conceal and carry legislation could add 90,000 more loaded handguns to our Minnesota public space in the next three years, according to the bill's author.
This legislation does take away a police chief's ability to say no to some individuals even Matheny feels should not be legally carrying loaded firearms. These are individuals where a hidden handgun could have the power to cloud a mind.
This conceal and carry legislation has nothing to do with a person's right to keep guns in the home, nor is it about hunting. It is about loaded handguns in our parks, libraries, school parking lots, government centers, and in automobiles.
The final legislation could even allow more legal handguns in shopping centers, churches, bars and the Metrodome.
The number of firearm deaths in our country and state is unacceptable. More loaded handguns in Minnesota will not make us safer.
Becky Wardell-Gaertner,Minneapolis.
Gun-free zones
Our state legislators are currently debating whether more people carrying more concealed weapons in our community is a good thing.
The church council of Pilgrims United Church of Christ in Maple Grove had that same debate last week.
It was a very brief debate, and I am afraid that at a table of very diverse, intelligent people from many different backgrounds, levels of education, income levels, and differing party affiliations, we could not muster a single voice in favor of this idea.
We further have designated our church building to be a "gun free" building. With the exception of law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties, guns are not welcome in our church.
We further encourage other churches, mosques, synagogues, schools and businesses to consider doing likewise.
Steven Hepokoski, Maple Grove.
:barf: :barf: :barf: