LETTERS: Gun-free zones only protect the evil

It was terrible to hear about the horrible massacre at Umpqua Community College ("Oregon massacre," Oct. 2 Review-Journal). It was another senseless mass killing in a gun-free zone, and another excuse for President Barack Obama to try to destroy the Second Amendment by taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. Then, only bad guys will have guns.

This shooting provides the reason to allow qualified people with concealed-carry permits to carry guns at any school. Gun-free zones don't protect anyone except the evil. Award-winning criminologist and gun-rights scholar John Lott wrote, "With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns."

Have you ever heard of someone conducting a mass killing at a police station? If a teacher or student with a concealed-carry permit had some protection, a lot of lives would have been saved. But our government doesn't allow guns in schools.

Come to think of it, our government doesn't allow prayer in public schools, either. But I'll bet a lot of students broke that rule during the Umpqua shooting.

Marty Billich

Las Vegas

Causes of violence

In all the reports on shootings and various opinions on gun control, there are two factors that are being left out: television and video games. I would venture to estimate that more than 50 percent of TV shows and movies have some connection to guns and violence, as does a majority of video games now on the market that glamorize the power of a weapon and violence. How can a disturbed person not receive a subliminal message of the solution to what that person views as an adversary?

So not only do we need background checks, we need the television and video game industries to become more responsible. We also need parents to care about what their children are exposed to, which plants the seeds for what we are now seeing in the news. We also need to put the same energy into mental health services that we put into gun control.

Jim Guynup

Las Vegas

Trashing Trump

Jane Ann Morrison shouldn't disguise her hatred of Donald Trump in a column ("Voters deserve truth, not ramblings" Oct. 15 Review Journal). The commentary should have been titled "I love Marco Rubio, vote for him."

It appears that Mr. Trump would not grant her an interview. I can't think of why else she would be so vehemently opposed to him. She was falling over herself with praise for Mr. Rubio, whom she was able to interview. Her article reads like a campaign ad.

A more truthful article would address the popularity of Mr. Trump and why so many working-class people understand his positions and want him as the next president. People are a lot smarter than most journalists give them credit for, as evidenced by the support Mr. Trump enjoys. That is the real story.

Doug Farmer

Las Vegas

Hearing helps Hillary

I was appalled at the Republican-initiated, taxpayer-funded congressional investigation into Benghazi, and the hearing with Hillary Clinton on Oct. 22. The hearing was worse than a waste. It was an 11-hour-long promotion for the "Hillary for President" campaign.

One conservative, John Podheretz, tweeted "Why doesn't [Rep. Mike] Pompeo just go over and swear her in for president now — if he goes on like this he'll practically get her elected." Other lines of questioning made Mrs. Clinton look calm under pressure and almost presidential.

If Republican politicians are so intent on making Mrs. Clinton their preferred opponent, then all voters should take a hard look at the real alternative to establishment politics: Bernie Sanders.

Nat Lerner

Las Vegas

Pretty good in Denmark

Regarding Rich Lowry's column on Bernie Sanders and socialism ("Rotten in Denmark," Oct. 21 Review-Journal), as a former teacher who lived and studied in Denmark and still has family there, I agree that Denmark has a high income tax and 25 percent sales tax. But the welfare state takes care of its citizens.

Yes, Danes do take more vacations and have a high life satisfaction. My granddaughter recently received her master's degree, but didn't have $200,000 in student loans hanging over her head.

Certainly there is good and bad, but Mr. Lowry only sees through a narrow lens. He probably hasn't spent much time in Denmark. As for the headline on his column, it was just shameless, and speaks only for some of Denmark's cheese.

Arnie Blakemen

North Las Vegas

Teacher vacancies

Regarding the article on the Clark County School District teacher shortage ("Council to tackle teacher vacancies," Oct. 14 Review-Journal), the group looking into this issue is made up of the Sands Education Council, the Public Education Foundation and Teach for America. All these groups mean well, but the root cause of the shortage still is not addressed.

There have been eight years of no raises, a health plan that is in trouble and a crumbling school system. And the list goes on. You build a good business, as well as a school system, by paying your staff like the professionals they are. You have a health plan that puts their needs first, without all the drama. You cannot have turnover of 1,000-plus every year.

If these ongoing issues aren't addressed, all the councils and committees will continue to go nowhere. The district will continue to have a bad national reputation, and all the cartoon characters used to recruit teachers will fail.

Walter Goldstein

Henderson