READERS WRITE

Shootings in crossfire

Responses to “Shootings are insane, but so is response,’” @issue, April 12.

More of the same from anti-gun crowd

Cynthia Tucker’s Sunday column amounted to hardly anything more than a burp from another anti-gun scribe with an unfounded position to tout. We have all been challenged in some way by the economic recession. Unfortunately, the recent tragedies she cited serve as evidence that tough times also breed the type of despair that leads to violent, horrific crimes.

Such events, combined with more outspoken anti-gun politicians in Washington, have contributed to the surge in applications for permits to carry a concealed weapon, the upswing in firearms sales and the shortage of ammunition. If Tucker calls for the curtailment of legal firearms possession, then she should enlighten us —- the supposedly “indifferent” public —- as to why we should be disarmed. She should carefully consider the police cutbacks and a marked uptick in violent crimes that have marred some of Atlanta’s most attractive neighborhoods and driven average citizens to legally purchase at least one gun.

BRIAN LUDVIGSEN, Atlanta

What’s the solution? What about rights?

Cynthia Tucker’s piece was not very clear on what she was proposing to end the shootings. And she ignored a sticky consideration: Gun ownership is a constitutionally guaranteed right.

Guns and even bullets are illegal for most people to carry in D.C. But there are more gun-related crimes there than in the surrounding metro area where potential victims just might be armed.

JOHN MURRAY TARTER, Jonesboro

End to arms ban a bonus for bad guys

The expiration of the assault weapons ban has done little more than arm the bad guys, enabling them to out-gun our law enforcement agencies. I agree with Cynthia Tucker that the carnage of mass shootings has done little to awaken citizens to the problems, and our elected representatives appear to have little regard for the citizens. I would term the situation as irrational rather than insane.

We need someone to put some thought into reducing violence in American society. Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich has proposed a Department of Peace initiative to address domestic and international conflict resolution. I suggest we engage in dialogue with those willing to talk about solutions.

PETER S. MORGAN JR., Roswell

Tucker is D.C.-bound

Responses to “Tucker moves to new stage,” and “Washington, here I come,” @issue, April 14.

Make it a short term covering one-termer

Cynthia Tucker needs to keep her house in Inman Park. If most of our voters come to their senses, they won’t make the same mistake twice and Tucker won’t have to report the important stuff in Washington like the names of the president’s pets or what his wife wears.

JACK FRANKLIN

Conyers

Personnel changes may be a chance to meet in the middle

I am excited about all the changes coming to your editorial page and wonder if this isn’t an opportunity for your paper to become less polarized. Cynthia Tucker and Jim Wooten, while fine writers, to me represent the current political culture where the other side is always wrong, and your side is always right.

Tucker thought that Republicans or conservatives equals bad, and Wooten thought that Democrats or liberals equals bad. Has your editorial page ever had a middle ground? And without a middle ground, how are we going to make urgently needed progress on the difficult problems facing our country?

ROBERT VOBEJDA

Marietta

Canadians, British speak up for single-payer health system

Valentin Petkantchin’s piece on the French health system is an example of twisted propaganda based on a manipulation of facts (“Ills of French health system a lesson on reining in costs,” @issue, April 1). Ask the people of France, Canada or the United Kingdom if they are satisfied with their health care. Look at the satisfaction surveys for public and practicing health care professionals. You’ll see that the single-payer system, while not perfect, has high satisfaction rates, uses less of the GDP, is more efficient and offers peace of mind for those in the system because one hospitalization won’t put them into bankruptcy.

As a health care worker who worked in Canada, I know firsthand about comparisons between our system and the single-payer system. Don’t let anyone fool you. Find out for yourself by doing your own research and speaking to the people who actually access the system. A single-payer system is a better system.

TEDD MASIONGALE

Atlanta

Economy’s problem not thrift; it’s lifestyle of overspending

There is nothing paradoxical about thrift. It is always a good thing. Those who took on too much debt are paying the price of turning over their financial lives to others. This includes homeowners who bought too much house and financial institutions that bought securities backed by loans that anybody with common sense could tell had an incredibly high risk of default.

Edgar Ortiz writes, “If consumer spending does not pick up, the economy will continue to suffer” (“There’s danger in too much saving,” Business, April 12). The economy is not suffering because people are not spending. The economy is suffering because too many individuals and businesses took on too much stupid debt. They weren’t thrifty enough.

Ortiz talks about the need to improve consumer confidence to jump-start a recovery. The consumer will not be confident as long as our government continues to spend money like water to bail out those who made bad decisions and the Fed continues to run the printing presses 24/7.

KAREN SMITH

Marietta