Further action needed on gun safety measures in Colo.
Re: “Boulder King Soopers Shooting: ‘A nightmare,’ ” March 23 news story
When I served in the Colorado legislature, I was the prime sponsor and active co-sponsor of major gun safety legislation over my 11-year tenure there.
During debates about all these bills, we heard time and time again the tired, worn out rhetoric of the National Rifle Association and its local, even more radical offspring, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Well if people didn’t have guns then those people couldn’t murder other people!
I am livid today that the person who massacred 10 people in Boulder on Monday had such easy access to the gun he used to kill those innocent Coloradans.
I am furious that just about anyone has access to weapons in our state. And I am no longer going to be even remotely satisfied with “thoughts and prayers.”
If I were still in the legislature I would, once again, work with colleagues to increase and strengthen gun safety legislation. Since I’m not there anymore, I implore my successors to take further action.
And I call on all Coloradans who care about the ongoing suffering that our insane devotion to guns creates to make your voices heard — once again — to do whatever we can to stop this butchery.
Lois Court, Denver
Editor’s note: Court is a former Colorado state senator from District 31 in Denver.
The mass shooting in Boulder comes shortly after the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Boulder cannot enact gun safety regulations.
But our state legislature can.
The Boulder shooting will be investigated. The shooter may be prosecuted. But that’s not enough. There is growing public recognition that in many cases, gun violence is a public health problem. What will be the response of our legislators?
Jim Engelking, Golden
Border crisis? Catastrophe?
Re: “Photos of migrant detention highlight secrecy over border,” March 23 news story
During the last month, there has been much discussion about what is happening at the southern U.S. border — primarily in Texas. Being retired and homebound due to the coronavirus, I have had too much time to view CNN, Fox News and White House briefings. The predominant words used to describe the Southern Border are:
Challenge: as described by the current Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the many Democrats who have expressed their views on this issue and numerous hosts and guests on CNN.
Crisis: as described by many Republicans who have expressed their views and many residents who live near the border and express the toll this event is taking on their daily lives and numerous hosts and guests on Fox.
Catastrophe: as described by some members on the right.
Deflect: As recently as March 15, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deflected addressing the issue directly and instead blamed the past administration as the source of the problem. This same deflection technique has also been used repeatedly by Psaki.
Disaster: The current administration has called on FEMA to assist at the southern border. FEMA, as its name states, is a department of Homeland Security that deals with emergency issues and disasters.
Now the southern border has gone from challenge to disaster to emergency.
Nick Panetta, Aurora
May I suggest there is no “humane” border policy in a world of global warming.
There are over a billion people in the world today with a standard of living below that of Mexico, and the world only grows hotter.
How many people do you honestly want to accept? The future of America depends on your honest answer!
Richard D. Lamm, Denver
Editor’s note: Lamm served as the governor of Colorado from 1975 to 1987.
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