Slain officers were victims of domestic violence too
Domestic violence is not only a threat to its victims, but to the community in general, and certainly the police. Ask any police officer and they’ll tell you that calls to domestic violence incidents are some of the most dangerous.
There are so many murders in America, especially by guns. Political murders, school shootings, random shootings, gang violence, robberies, and the murders of intimate partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses and dates. In Pennsylvania, 104 victims of domestic violence were killed this year and there were over 1,500 deaths from domestic violence in our commonwealth over the last 10 years.
In York, three officers were shot and killed and two wounded while serving a warrant to a domestic abuser. The gunman was a 24-year-old man who was stalking a woman. He’d set her car on fire, and killed her dog.
Decide for yourself what this all means. To me it means guns are way too accessible to unstable people.
I applaud and thank the police for the dangerous work they do in protecting us and hope they will continue to learn more about how to support victims and survivors of both domestic and sexual violence.
It is a big deal!
Lois Heckman
Hamilton Township, Monroe County
Slaying highlights conflicts over First, Second amendments
The Guardian reported that after the Charlie Kirk murder, President Trump told Fox News that “the radicals on the left are the problem.” There was no evidence of the shooter’s motive at that time. The murder of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman by a radical right gunman did not engender the same outrage as Kirk’s death. But why is the motive of killers so important? Both political assassinations are horrific, but are they worse than the senseless shootings of school children?
Thoughts and prayers are sent out to the families of victims to acknowledge the grief of the families. But then silence. No legislative steps are taken to try to stop gun violence. The Second Amendment begins with the words “well regulated,” suggesting that laws can be enacted to prevent the misuse of firearms. The First Amendment freedom of speech is already legally limited by libel and slander laws as well as a Supreme Court decision that forbids yelling “fire” in a crowded public place.
President Trump and Republican legislators could use Kirk’s death as a moral crusade to enact positive steps to stem the violent killings. Will they do something? We will have to see.
Mark Anderson
Longswamp Township
Trump’s comments to ABC sounded like a threat
The day before Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl asked President Trump about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s intentions to go after “hate speech.” The president responded, “I’d probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe I’ll come after ABC.”
To me, that sounds like a threat. To me, that sounds like hate. To me, that sounds like a double standard. To me, that sounds like “you can’t say anything bad about me or I will do things to silence you, because I am the president.”
So this is where we are right now. We have a president who cannot be criticized, and if he is you will be punished severely. To me, that sounds more like Vladimir Putin’s Russia than it does like democracy from the United States of America.
Stephen C. Smith
Bethlehem
Religion plays big role in America’s future
As the country stands at a crossroad, religion will play a huge part. Getting back to love of country and family is essential, but a love of God is paramount.
The horrendous murder of Charlie Kirk is bringing this to the forefront.
The fourth turning is upon us, and now we can push forward the vision this great man professed.
A country that can be a moral beacon, a strong country to protect its citizens and a rich country to help all.
Don Koza
Bethlehem Township
Trump’s speech an embarrassment
After watching and listening to President Trump’s diatribe Sept. 23 in front of the United Nations General Assembly, in which he took credit for everything positive and heaped scorn upon other countries, which in his opinion have done everything wrong, I have to say that today I am embarrassed to be an American.
James M. McMahan
Lower Macungie Township
Look to Bible for answers about freedom of speech
Maybe we can stop all the rhetoric about what constitutes free speech. As with any problem, one can go to the Bible and find the answer. As to free speech, it says, “Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil.”
Ken Mertz
Allentown
Addressing climate change is a moral choice
A recent letter writer asserted that it’s about time for our government to reassess climate change. But is that what our federal government is doing now?
In his recent speech at the United Nations, President Trump stated that climate change is a con job and implied that renewable energy doesn’t work. That doesn’t sound like a reassessment. It sounds like a dogmatic belief.
The reality is that the physics and chemistry of the greenhouse gas effect of carbon dioxide has been known for 129 years. The question is what are we going to do about it?
Last year, worldwide just over 90% of new electricity-generating projects involved renewable sources such as solar and wind. The rest of the world is leaving us behind. But it’s not merely a practical question. How we address climate change or not reflects the moral questions of whether we love creation, love our children and love our neighbors.
The Rev. Rick Guhl
Allentown
The writer is the Co-Chapter leader Climate Hope Affiliate PA-7.
ELECTION LETTERS
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