Letters to the editor

Fired up — about guns

News of the unspeakable shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn., had barely cleared the airwaves when gun-control fanatics launched their tedious rants about more gun-control laws. New York’s clueless, and fanatical, Gov. Andrew Cuomo exploited the disaster with warnings of gun confiscation.

More layers of gun control, in my opinion, are not the answer. Sometines a worn-out sentiment says it best: Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. The big question should be: “Why?”

Guns have been collecting in this country for more than two centuries. They’re hidden in closets, under beds, and in attics, and they’re displayed on walls and in gun cases. They can be bought, stolen, traded, won, handed down, or given away.

Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter, used his mother’s guns to to kill. William Spengler, the Webster, N.Y., shooter who killed two and wounded three on Christmas Eve, got his guns from a neighbor. Guns are readily available from many sources, and if you want one badly enough you can get it regardless of gun-control laws.

According to reports, Adam Lanza spent most of his time in his mother’s $1.6 million home playing violent video games and watching violent movies. Apparently he was fascinated with the dark side of America’s entertainment culture, which is riddled with graphic violence and bloodshed. Maybe this constant exposure to violence influenced him to do what he did.

Attempting to control guns in America is ludicrous. No one even knows how many exist because most of them are not registered. The broader focus should be what influences people like Adam Lanza to murder innocent people. We should all get fired up about that.

Leroy Donald

Stephens City

Whitacre equals ‘positive impact’

This letter is to recommend that the Frederick County Board of Supervisors appoint Angela Whitacre to the vacant Gainesboro District seat.

With the negative nature of politics these days, it is hard to find someone who is willing to take on the burden of being in public office, in addition to their regular career. It is even harder to find someone who is not doing it for personal gain, but believes that she can have a positive impact on Frederick County.

When someone like Angela steps forward, the board should recognize their good fortune, and appoint her. No one will work harder.

Fred Riley

Stephens City

The remedy to ‘redistribution’

I read Kenneth Plog’s letter on Jan. 4 with interest. He astutely points out one reason that ER care costs are so high — paying patients have to subsidize those who do not pay for their care.

However, I do not see his proposed solution to this problem. Emergency departments and hospitals are legally required to provide care to all patients regardless of ability to pay. This “redistribution” issue (and the high cost of ER care) began long before the current administration and “ObamaCare.”

Indeed, the centerpiece of ObamaCare is a solution to this problem. The individual mandate requires that Americans purchase insurance, requiring everyone to contribute to the medical care they receive. This is the opposite of the current “redistribution” that Mr. Plog opposes.

Bryan Kornreich

Winchester

Illogical Obama

There are only two questions to ask the clear-thinking (sic) Democrat Party/Obama regime: How does it make us “safer” if we are unable to defend ourselves?

What criminal thug, willing to risk the penalty for murder, robbery or rape, is going to obey President Obama’s new “sweeping gun control laws”?

Paul Wells

Bluemont

Curves ladies, thanks, yet again

Here we are again getting ready to start a new year. How time flies.

I just wanted to take a few lines to thank the wonderful ladies of Curves in Winchester for all of their generosity this past year in our community.

My wonderful ladies donated several hundred pounds of food this past spring for the Curves food drive. This food went to churches to help feed the less fortunate.

Then they came back in the fall and collected turkeys to help the churches be able to serve a beautiful Thanksgiving meal to anyone who was in need of one.

After all of that, they helped make Christmas a little extra special for some sweet seniors at the Rose Hill nursing home by giving them a few extra things that they needed, and my wonderful husband Johnnie made sure they got a lap blanket and a box of candy.

A big “Thank You” to some wonderful ladies with some really big hearts.

Susan Lambert

Curves of Winchester

Whitacre would serve district well

As a Frederick County resident, I was happy to see that Angela Whitacre was seeking the Gainesboro District appointment to the Board of Supervisors. I have known Angela for more than 20 years, several of them when we worked together.

I know she has the ability to serve her district well. She’s dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent, but still has a good deal of common sense.

I urge the current board to appoint her.

Patricia Kitts

Stephenson