Dear editor, Mr. Johnson
Since your attempt at logic and “humor” directly addresses me, I thought I’d respond. I have rarely seen such a fascinating stream of unconsciousness. Your screed got to the heart of the matter espoused by those most interested in misunderstanding the ideas behind the right to bear arms and the deliberate misleading and obfuscating of the unnecessarily terrified like yourself.
Please, what strain to threads logic did I employ? Did you miss the definition of militia that I and the writers of the Bill of Rights used (the whole of the people)? Why bring in the National Rifle Association, the oldest civil rights group in the United States. None of their members have been involved in mass shootings? There is a violence problem, especially in those areas designated as “Gun Free Zones”, where 95 to 98% (depending on one’s source of statistics) of mass shootings occur.
Guns are designed to eject a projectile. That’s it. There are millions (four to six hundred million or more) of guns in the hands of our citizens and a few are used by bad people to commit evil deeds. Motor vehicles are designed to move people and goods from one point to another but many are killed by their misuse, deliberately or by accident, just as with firearms. Every year many times more people use firearms for defense than for attack, see FBI and CDC statistics.
Accusations of toxic masculinity make little or no sense to the hundreds of my lady customers and gun owning friends, see Diana Muller of The D.C. Project, for example.
If you want to speak about the subjects in your last sentence, let’s, but just throwing them in seems rather misleading. Hmm…
David W. Loeffler
Celebrate and Stay Clean
Dear editor,
Next Monday, July 4th, the City of Grants will be rolling out the red carpet to thousands of people who line up along our streets to see one of the longest running 4th of July Parades in New Mexico! Colorful floats and endless pagentry excite and delight all who witness it! Vendors of all kinds will be peddling tee shirts, native american jewelry, arts and crafts, and all kinds of New Mexican cuisine! There will be fireworks at the El Malpais Golf Course!
This year Les Gaines will be the Grand Marshall of the Parade! Les has been involved in our community in many causes and board assignments over the years. He has been a fixture for the Mt. Taylor Quad for almost 40 years and has served our area with honor and distinction! I always say we get "more for Les"!
With the crowds that will be desending on our City, we would ask everyone to assist the City of Grants by putting trash in it's place. If you pack it in, pack it out! I will be working with volunteers to clean up the parade route. Myself and the volunteers will be wearing red and black tee shirts that say, "Take Pride in Grants". On the back of our shirts the Logo for Delta Tire is prominently displayed! We appreciate and thank Delta Tire for being our sponsor!
We live in the greatest nation in the world! I will always be very appreciative of the Founding Fathers that had been prepared to bring forth the Declaration of Independence, our United States Constitution, and the Bill of rights. We must always stand for the freedoms that these documents offer us as Americans! God bless America!
Robert S. Windhorst Code Enforcement Officer, City of Grants
CLARIFICATION
Last week’s Citizen included a letter to the editor from Brian Johnson. In his Word document submission, Mr. Johnson included his phone number immediately below his name. This phone number was published with his letter. Mr. Johnson has informed the Citizen that this was not his intent, and he has asked that we inform the community that he was not soliciting phone contact regarding the ideas presented in his letter. The Citizen regrets the misunderstanding.