Emotional reactions to Colorado mass shooting
A man wipes his eyes Tuesday at a makeshift memorial at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colo., a day after 10 people were killed in the second U.S. mass shooting within a week. Credit: AFP via Getty Images / Jason Connolly
States should unite on gun, health laws
It is with a heavy heart that I read "Shooting suspect bought gun 6 days before the attack" [News, March 24].
As someone who has lost a loved one to gun violence, I must stress that mental health laws besides gun laws must be consistent from one state to another.
This country needs to have a real discussion about mental illness and how people 18 and older can be assisted when exhibiting signs of paranoia, depression, delusions or egregious behavior. Yet, this needs to be done while balancing individual rights and the greater good.
If the federal government does not fully address these timely issues, we will continue to read about mass killings.
Carolyn L. Roell,
South Setauket
The Colorado shooter purchased an assault weapon six days before the shooting. His family states they saw him "fooling around" with something that looked like a machine gun.
What is it going to take before assault weapons are banned to all but police and military? How many innocent people must die? What vetting was done by the seller before an assault gun was bought by a man with mental issues? Why didn’t the family report his mental instability, especially after seeing him with this gun? Those precious lives might have been spared.
Many countries have citizens who own guns. The buyers first have to pass a safety class. Our country seems to have the largest number of mass shootings. We must have better education for gun owners. We must take lessons from the countries whose people own guns but who do not have the number of mass shootings we have here.
Caroline Walsh,
St. James
Is the United States the Wild West? Mass gun killings are not happening to this extent in other "civilized" countries.
What is happening, as I see it, is deranged acceptance for the easy availability of gun purchases. Especially an automatic gun that can kill many people at a quick pull of the trigger.
Why are we so often enduring such tragic losses of life of the innocent? Where is the logic of "fairness"? Is it fairness to the gun purchaser or to the innocent bystander?
It is a sad commentary that our country makes it so easy to destroy the lives of the innocent.
Diane McGuire,
Northport
