Letters to the Editor: When will we ever tire of mass shootings in our country?

Buffalo shooting

Another mass shooting! This one at a grocery store in a black neighborhood and perpetrated by a hate filled racist loaded with firepower and tactical equipment. The news networks again talk of Americans being in shock and resorting to all the “after massacre” rituals: offering thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims; candlelight vigils; memorials of balloons, flowers and candles; and a general indignant outrage that this kind of horror has happened again. The stains of racism and gun violence continue to plague our country. Our medical community considers gun violence an epidemic. Yet, we continue to do little or nothing to stop the madness. That makes us all culpable. We must demand that our public officials pass laws and policies that protect us from gun violence. We must vote for candidates that are willing to take on organizations like the NRA rather than pander to them for campaign money. We must keep the pressure on our elected officials to actively advocate for using laws already on the books to stem the proliferation of guns and military style weaponry into our communities. If we fail to do these things, then we have only ourselves to blame.

Barbara Rave Plymale, Lexington

Fight racism

A white, registered Republican killed 168 Americans in Oklahoma City in 1995. Another white Republican killed 10 Americans in Buffalo last week. This week, 203 white Republicans voted AGAINST legislation to stop white terrorism.

There is no middle ground here. Either you fight racism, or you promote it. Republicans have made it clear which side of history they are on. Which side are YOU on? Remember in November.

Stephen Stahlman, Berea

Shootings continue

What is the matter with our politicians? It is sad, sickening that we continue having shootings in this country and they do nothing.

We cry for the victims of this craziness. It appears like it will only get worse. Race shootings are a continuing problem in this country. Military type guns are the weapon of choice for the mentally challenged individuals that kill.

We urge our Kentucky politicians to lead the way out of this tragedy. They can do it. Or maybe they’re not concerned. We will see, won’t we?

Don Rapske, Lexington

Suicide prevention

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As a volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, I am asking everyone to join us and demand #MoreForMentalHealth.

My father, a well-respected and prominent member of his community, completed suicide 11 years ago following an undiagnosed battle with depression. Nine years later, my family continues to heal from this traumatic event, and tries to share its story to help other families.

I am calling on my legislators at the federal and state levels to support legislation that will fund the suicide and mental health crisis system across our nation, particularly in underserved communities.

Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255 and de-escalates tens of thousands of crises from callers each day. On July 16, those in distress and those that support them can reach the Lifeline by dialing 988. This change will increase the number of calls to the Lifeline’s network of crisis call. It is vital that the federal government work with states to ensure callers will have: 1) someone to call, 2) someone to come help, and 3) somewhere safe to go. We must act to secure funding for those services now.

Together, we can help #StopSuicide.

Katherine Greene-Owens, Lexington

Divisive policies

Policies promoted by President Joe Biden’s administration divide and damage Americans.

The funding to forgive college loans (owed mainly by middle- and upper-income graduates) will come from the taxes of people who have already paid their own loans, those who never went to college, and those who had nothing to do with creating those loans. Allowing millions of illegal migrants to violate our southern border enriches criminal cartels in Mexico; puts migrants in danger; provides dangerous drugs to kill our citizens; and places unnecessary costs on our citizens and their health care systems, schools, and law enforcement agencies, among others. The emphasis on diversity, inclusion and equity in all federal government agencies and many private corporations continues to label non-whites as inferior and makes them unable to compete successfully in education and in workplaces.

It is time to replace this divisive, destructive racist policy with one criterion—competency. Arbitrarily handcuffing the fossil fuel industry that had given us energy independence, and forcing more use of intermittent energy production from solar and wind while simultaneously subsidizing electric vehicles, has raised gasoline and electricity costs. These policies will have little impact on climate change, but are causing much damage to Americans’ budgets.

Ray Davis, Lexington

Replacement Theory

Is the fear Tucker Carlson and members of the Republican party have concerning the replacement theory motivated by the guilt of what white Europeans did to the Native Americans?

If you are suffering from guilt, let me add to it by asking this - why is it when there is a white mass murder suspect who is armed the police go to extraordinary efforts to disarm that suspect, but when there is black suspect who may have violated a traffic law, the police feel threatened and “in fear for their lives,” then shoot the black suspect? Why the disparity?

James F. Wisniewski, Lexington

Embarrassment Paul

Republican Sen. Rand Paul is an embarrassment to our state and country. An incumbent like Paul is hard to beat in our overwhelmingly red state, because so many voters vote for him just because of the “R” next to his name.

Many voters who live in poverty vote against their own economic self-interests by voting for Rand Paul in Kentucky and Republicans in other states across America.

It is crucial Democrats maintain control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. Our nation’s future as a democracy is at stake leading up to 2024’s presidential election.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville

Hypocritical curriculum

So let me get this straight: a private Christian school in Louisville debates a hypothetical conversation about what a Biblical definition of marriage is and is castigated; but the LGBT community demands that first graders be indoctrinated/educated about the gay agenda (see Florida). Who’s the hypocrite here?

John Mackey, Lexington

Rich Strike

Congratulations to the owner/trainer of Rich Strike for having the best interest of the horse foremost in their minds. Having seen a horse put down after a race, I am not a fan of the sport, but if it has to exist, I hope there are more ethical owner/trainers to come. What a contrast to Baffert. Hope he ends up in a place where the horses are in charge.

Cindy Frase, Lexington

Big changes

If not now, when? It’s time for big changes.

We need to abolish the filibuster and the electoral college, a longtime unfair counting system. How about we pass fair voting laws and protect women’s rights by codifying Roe v Wade. Let’s get rid of the debt ceiling approval practice, an unfair political obstruction and reinstate the FCC Fairness Doctrine to restore truth in journalism. It’s time to break up media monopolies to end lies, hate, propaganda, too.

We should prosecute rich criminals like Trump and his family, associates, who should already be in jail for at least some of their thefts, frauds, threats, frivolous lawsuits, attacks on women.

And what about prosecuting lawyers for frivolous, fraudulent illegal actions, lying to court, and delays? It is critical we move on climate action, new green jobs, New Green Deal. And Justice Clarence Thomas should be impeached. We can reinstate the Child Tax Credit, which expired in December 2021; boost funds for the IRS to stop tax cheating by the rich; and stop support of the Fossil Fuel and War Industries. The rich people behind these businesses are using propaganda to promote war and climate devastation.

Diana Strzalka, Nicholasville

Progress Kentucky

I am a member of Progress Kentucky. We are a central Kentucky based 501 c 4 organization which seeks to promote progressive policies in Kentucky. Please check us out on our Facebook pages, Progress Kentucky, or our companion page, Colonels of Truth!

Interested in joining the effort? Like, and follow our FB pages. Ask for additional information and we will be in contact. We are all volunteers. Join our effort to make a difference!Currently, Progress Kentucky is running a poll related to actions taken by the Kentucky legislature in the General Session that ended in April.

Many of these actions were regressive, hurt the most vulnerable people, reduced taxes on the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class, while refusing to cap the cost of insulin. The poll is titled the Worst Actions of this Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Legislature. We encourage you to take the poll. We plan to release results to the press and public shortly. In the future we need progressive policies, not policies that hurt “We the People.”

Debra Graner, Frankfort

Disinformation governance

No sooner than Elon Musk (offered to buy) Twitter in order to reinstate a forum of free speech for liberals, conservatives, communists, fascists and ideological sorts of all stripes, than President Joe Biden’s administration came up with a new branch of Homeland Security. Its function is to control speech similarly to that of Twitter, Facebook, Google and other networks who severely censor views they and only they consider to be misinformation… all the while, in my opinion, welcoming true misinformation from their friends on the far left.

It’s called the “Disinformation Governance Board.” It was formed to “combat disinformation in the 2022 midterm campaigns. Well, how will they do that? They don’t say.

In Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 the character Winston Smith worked in the “Ministry of Truth.” His job was to rewrite historical documents so they matched party line. Also he revised or removed news articles that could be offensive to the Party. Hmmmm, sound familiar yet?

Of course Biden’s dream of thought and speech control through censorship or sins of omission now practiced by left-friendly media is well underway and has been mostly successful. But force feeding the same thing via government enforcement is blatantly unconstitutional.

Wayne Burns, Lexington

(Editor’s note – the Disinformation Governance Board was “paused” on May 17 due to online attacks over its name and mission).

This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 8:39 AM.