Letter to the Editor: Anger, again

Once again.

I'm so, so angry. Once again, within two weeks’ time, a shooting has taken the lives of at least 21 people, most of them children.

Senator Chris Murphy said, on the floor of the Senate after this awful shooting, "Voters must take responsibility for" voting into office members of congress who are willing to "compromise" on gun controls.

He's only asking his colleagues to compromise. If that happened would meaningful change happen soon enough? It doesn't matter. We have to do something, anything, as soon as possible.

It makes no sense at all that any American should own an assault weapon. And has anyone noticed that nearly all of American mass murders are committed by men/boys?

Why is it that elected officials, who appoint other officials who have control over our lives, have decided that women should not have control over their bodies if they become pregnant? Yet they are willing to allow gunmen to easily acquire assault rifles to gun down school children.

My father owned guns. He was a professional musician and had two brothers but insisted that my sister and I learn gun safety.

We target-practiced in the backyard. During his teens and twenties, he was a member of the Quaker faith. He was a gentle, thoughtful man.

Men like my father don't buy guns that are designed to kill people. We must elect local, state and federal legislators this November who are gentle, thoughtful people and stop the madness.

Vicki Sparks

Fishing Creek