Let’s put people ahead of special interests in gun debate

How can a safety-conscious country allow a huge lethal hole in its safety net? Because the United States has chosen money over people, from the buying off of lawmakers to the profits of the gun makers and the NRA.

Please Google “mass shooting, homicide and suicide rates of the U.S. versus other countries.” You will clearly see that we surpass the others by a mile. They don’t have the wide open, no-questions-asked gun access we do.

Why are there laws for the operation of anything that could be dangerous — including cars, planes and construction equipment — but few for guns, which are the most dangerous? Why can a convicted murder, a domestic abuser or a schizophrenic go online or to a gun show and buy a gun with no background check?

Maybe if our elections weren’t bought and paid for by special interests and billionaires, we wouldn’t have these problems.

What kind of parents are we if we don’t question whether there are guns next door before our children go over to play? And am I the only one who, after a mass shooting at a movie theater, thinks that it could have been me shot dead?

The measure of a society is its ability to protect its most vulnerable, especially innocent women and children. But we get a failing grade. Those first grade kids at Sandy Hook had their whole lives ahead of them. But even after that unthinkable carnage, nothing has changed.

I’m not saying take away the Second Amendment. It is way past due, however to require mandatory background checks on all gun sales. And it is also past due to re-institute the automatic weapons ban to prevent future slaughters.

If this agenda upsets the monied interests, too bad. There are more of us than them. And glorifying gun violence in this crazy gun culture doesn’t help. We should strive for peace and for life, not death.

There is a referendum on the November ballot for background checks on all gun sales. Vote yes.

Dawn Richey

Las Vegas

Benefits everyone

Earlier this year, I joined with several leaders in the Hispanic business community and youth leaders in touring some of Southern Nevada’s outdoor treasures with the Outside Las Vegas Foundation. We visited the Valley of Fire State Park, with its sandstone canyons and prehistoric Indian petroglyph sites; we rode dune buggies at Nellis Dunes, a federally-protected off-road adventure land north of the city; and we learned about the future of the newly-created Tule Springs National Monument in the north valley.

For the Hispanic community, these are all significant resources because they bring families and neighbors together in healthy outdoor activities, they create economic opportunities for businesses, and they offer tourists options that keep them in our hotels longer.

Throughout Southern Nevada, there are many more such examples, such as the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Red Rock National Conservation Area and the Toyiabe National Forest that enhance our quality of life.

So I applaud Sen. Harry Reid’s efforts to work with President Obama to preserve the Gold Butte area. It is a spectacular recreation spot for local outdoor enthusiasts and visitors. The area is filled with beautiful mountain vistas and slot canyons, the remnants of old ranches and ghost towns, the hundreds of miles of four-wheel drive trails, and amazing sandstone petroglyph sites. But it has been held hostage to increased use by just a handful of people.

Sen. Reid’s efforts to get federal protection for Gold Butte will bring resources and attention to the area, making it even more accessible to hunters, campers, off-roaders and nature enthusiasts. This in turn will provide an economic boost to our community. We should all support preservation of Gold Butte because it’s a benefit for everybody.

Peter Guzman

Las Vegas

The writer is president and CEO of the Latin Chamber of Commerce