Newsday letters to the editor for Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Frustration over gun violence at schools

Until the shooting at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, I have always sympathized with the victims [“10 dead in Texas school shooting,” News, May 19].

Unfortunately, the narrative has always been the same. A troubled young man appears to have been bullied by his fellow students and does not know how to deal peacefully with his problems. Is the school administration even aware of the bullying? Does it provide the atmosphere in which a bullied student can seek help? Are there mental health professionals to give a troubled or bullied student support or counseling?

People will argue for gun control. But there is still the underlying problem of a young student who has issues and feels he has no solution except to take out students who have been mean to him. Surely, school districts all over the country should examine the bullying problem and the mental health of students before another person is wounded by a troubled soul.

Marian Milne,Oceanside

Since the shooting at Santa Fe High School, I have heard politicians and the National Rifle Association cite video games, open school doors, mental illness, and even too much Ritalin as the causes for gun violence.

Other countries have everything I just mentioned, but we are the only country with a school shooting epidemic. Let’s use our common sense and get real: It’s the guns!

Roberta Comerchero,Commack

The United States has had nearly two dozen school shootings in 2018 in which someone was hurt or killed. Our politicians continue to talk about what should be done, but no laws to eliminate or control these disasters are enacted.

We have children who take weapons from their parents or buy them. If parents do not sufficiently keep weapons out of reach, they should be prosecuted.

I believe the media are too explicit and descriptive in their coverage and make the killers see themselves as heroes. People are too passive in believing they will not see these killings in their school systems or locations.

Peter G Kraeker,Hicksville

Another school shooting and we hear the same tired, cold written message from President Donald Trump. And what’s more disturbing is that the number of U.S. students killed in school shootings so far this year is greater than the number of U.S. military personnel killed in combat.

When is enough enough? I guess the ballot box in November is the answer.

Ann Leahy,Wantagh

Which is more important, guns or people’s lives, especially the lives of our youth?

Republicans in Congress have indicated that guns are more important and have shielded the National Rifle Association and its policies. When will the Republicans wake up and see the tragedies happening to American families they are supposed to protect? By doing nothing, the Republicans are saying that the 30,000 deaths a year by guns are not a problem. Why should one small organization with a lot of money be able to dictate that the entire country must live in fear?

Alan Kaufmann,East Northport

State park cabins are way too expensive

While it certainly is nice that cabins are being added to make our state parks more attractive, I did a double-take at the $3 million cost for 10 cabins at Wildwood State Park in Wading River [“New cabins come to Wildwood park,” News, May 22].

At about $300,000 each, the price for 10 cabins, none bigger than 784 square feet, seems excessive.

I don’t know which is worse: that the state spent that much money to build a bunch of buildings basically the size of three-car garages — or that officials have the gall to take a victory lap for it.

Just another reason I am soon leaving New York.

James Maritato,Mastic

Taxpayers foot bill for big police settlement

The May 14 article on a payment to a man mistaken as a shoplifter in an alleged case of racial profiling was headlined “Garden City, cops to pay $150G judgment.”

That’s incorrect. It’s taxpayers who will pay this judgment, not Garden City or its police department. Perhaps if judgments were tied specifically to the budget of the department that incurred the expense, we’d have fewer such lawsuits.

Anthony Tanzi,

Mastic Beach