Forked River, N.J.: For the 212th time this year, we see heartbreaking images of shattered families experiencing the worst day in their lives. Even more tragic is the fact that the U.S. is the only nation that has this level of senseless violence. The people of this country again feel deep sadness, anger and helplessness, and the politicians who enable these tragedies actually double down on their immorality by saying even more guns are needed (because the almost 400 million guns in this country aren’t enough).
Law enforcement personnel stand outside Robb Elementary School following a shooting, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)
You have congressmen who are like timeshare salesmen for the gun manufacturers; politicians like Ted Cruz, who actually wrapped bacon around the barrel of an assault rifle to cook the bacon and eat it. Once again, Cruz and his fellow henchmen in Congress say we need to arm everyone — teachers, the school janitor, etc. The H.R. 8 bill proposed by Democrats to increase background checks has gathered cobwebs under Cruz and his fellow Republicans. A few hours after the Texas school shooting, talking heads on Fox News like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham blamed President Biden because, after he got off of his 17-hour flight from Asia, he chose to address this nation instead of flying to Texas within hours of a mass murder. Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene will more than likely troll the survivors of this school shooting like she did to survivors of the Parkland school shooting.
If you feel helpless, heartbroken and angry, then do something about it and vote every one of these useless clowns out of office starting with the Lauren Boeberts, MTGs and Ted Cruzes. Jim Hughes
Lakewood, N.J.: So Sen. Ted “Grandpa Munster” Cruz is worried that Democrats will “politicize” yet another school massacre. His dumb statement did just that — politicized the brutal murder of innocent children and their beloved teacher. Instead of offering “thoughts and prayers” and worrying about the political aspect, he and his clueless followers need to enact stricter background checks and ban assault rifles. This isn’t about being political, numbnuts Cruz, it is all about saving precious lives. Frank Mongiello
Staten Island: I can hear it now. Every time we have a mass shooting in this country, our politicians (mostly Republicans) breathe a sigh of anguish — not in sadness over the victims, but because now they have to find a way to wiggle out of enacting any gun control laws. Poor babies. How frustrating that must be for them. Nothing will ever get passed until senseless acts like these happen to them or one of their family members. Dennis Pascale
Spring Valley, N.Y.: This country is having this big debate over Roe v. Wade because of the killing of unborn babies. What about the babies that are dying by being shot in their classrooms and on the streets? Don’t they matter? Delores McDonald
Rockaway Beach: I heard that the National Rifle Association is going to release a hungry wolf into some elementary school classrooms once a year. This way, some of the children will survive and it’ll offset the fatal gun statistics. Problem solved! What, your heart still hurts? Call the NRA: Not Really Answering. Maureen McNelis
Brooklyn: I don’t know what to call it — gun culture or culture of violence or something else, but these mass murders are a uniquely American phenomenon. Most studies seem to show that banning assault weapons doesn’t really have any effect. The idea of putting the blame (and possible fix) around mental illness is ludicrous. There are mentally ill people in every country but they don’t massacre 19 children. You can draw a correlation between guns per capita and mass murders in the U.S., but is that really valid? Maybe it’s a domino effect? In other words, school killings started becoming more common in the U.S., so an angry or unhinged person will see that as an acceptable route to unleash their rage — instead of suicide, getting help or just doing nothing. I’m all for getting rid of every gun, but that will never happen. I’m afraid this has somehow become deeply ingrained in our culture and society. It seems impossible to explain. There is no easy solution and I’m afraid it will just keep getting worse. Peter Magnotta
Manhattan: In the Buffalo and Uvalde mass shootings, the killers wore body armor. This protected the killer and prevented security people from stopping the carnage. Security people are trained to aim at a perpetrator’s body; aiming at the head or legs could miss, ricochet and kill an innocent bystander. The Second Amendment talks about bearing arms, not body armor. Restrict body armor! John Stout
Stamford, Conn.: How do the student shooters get into the schools with guns? Do U.S. schools have security guards to check backpacks? Gun laws are ignored but there are lots of prayers and speeches. Debbie Bozek
Maspeth: I’ve been saying this for years: Every school in the United States of America should have two police officers assigned to it every school day. I don’t care what people don’t want; this is what it’s going to be. This should have and could have been prevented if we did this. It would deter people from even attempting it. Lance Lovejoy
Hillsdale, N.J.: Dear Voicer Barry Koppel: I am sorry that the Daily News ignored the Celebrate Israel Parade. But your last paragraph, a nasty barb regarding the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, was bigoted, unjustified and uncalled for. The Irish have been marching in NYC on the 17th of March, proudly celebrating their history and heritage, for more than 250 years. And the drunken revelers? They are usually non-Irish, out-of-town teenagers from places like Kew Gardens Hills. Mike McCrory
Brooklyn: Re “A placard probe” (May 21): Can someone explain to me what an MTA diversity officer does, how that title is involved in directing funds to minority-owned businesses and how is the $200,000-plus salary justified? Sounds like a baloney job title created for someone’s relative/friend. Margaret Cammallere
Arverne: Will some editor there please tell cartoonist Bramhall that his oh-so-quaint sketches making light of subway murders are in very poor taste? This is not the first time I have been moved to call him out on this very serious subject. Thomas A. Tuna
Bonita Springs, Fla.: Voicer Decouncey Hurley’s letter said it all about what’s wrong with this country — also, the reason I moved from New York to Florida. There was just one line: “I voted for Eric Adams because the others were too liberal.” What? Last time I checked, there was a Republican you could have voted for! You lefties obviously would not even consider that, I guess. Curtis Sliwa, anyone? You all got what you voted for. Now you complain? Same with the White House! Bring back Rudy Giuliani and President Trump! Wake up, woke Democrats, before we turn into a third-world country — if we’re not there already. Gail Jackson
Fishkill, N.Y.: As expected, DJT made an appearance at the Preakness and the 75-1 underdog finished last, a few strides behind GOP. Though his owner, The Donald, claimed his horse had actually won, we all clearly saw that even the limping Fake News easily beat the two losers by five furlongs! The winner was Let’s Go Merrick after Just Say You Won was disqualified for cheating during the race. Shockingly, the three favorites, Seditious Insurrection, Witch Hunt and Legitimate Political Protest were disqualified for failing a pre-race equine intelligence test. The disqualified trio were observed watching Fox News in their stalls right before the race. The future looks uncertain for several 3-year-olds who performed poorly at the Preakness, including Putin’s Best Buddy, Perfect Call, Kids in Cages, Stolen Election and Extortion. The only apparent controversy that marred the event was the persistent whining of the last-place finisher who continued to complain that he had won. Sad! Gerald Browne
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Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News