A gallon of regular at St. Mary’s Road and Interstate 10 was going for $4.49 on April 26.

The recent school shootings have people asking the government to do something, anything. But such rash decisions usually result in bad law. To put things in perspective, there were 24 school shootings in 2019 in an estimate of 98,271 public schools. That’s an event rate of 0.0002%. In other words, schools are extremely safe. While any deaths are a tragedy, the response should be measured to the risk.

Outside and classroom doors should be locked from the inside. A resource officer should be present at all times children are in school. Beyond that, school boards may decide to pay for metal detectors and bullet proof windows and doors.

But restricting access to large-capacity guns is not the answer. Certainly, tougher background checks are appropriate. However, the Second Amendment was designed to protect citizens not only from personal crime but also repressive government.

What makes a proven conservative these days?

Let’s see, do you lie at every chance, to make you more Trumping? Do you promote hate and distrust in the world? Have you used your assault weapon to terrorize children, maybe even kill? Do you promote insecurity and build walls instead of promote friendship and humanity?

As a business person, have you filed for bankruptcy so you can then screw your employees out of salary and pensions? Does pro-life mean cute cuddly babies, but then when they really need the human touch, sorry kid, you are on your own. Are you a so-called Christian and just how rich are you?

Oh yeah, I guess this means you are a Republican, too!

Since we obviously have no plan or intention of closing and securing the border, I believe it’s time for Homeland Security to create a new department called “Immigrant Receiving.” This new department would allow the existing Border Patrol agents to focus on stopping and apprehending drug runners, human slave (child and adult) smugglers, and previously deported criminals and potential terrorists.

Immigrant receiving would consist of social workers and EMTs to help families and children as they are gathered by drivers and delivered to receiving facilities. If it was determined that the family groups were to be released into the U.S., there would be a process for determining where they might go and find work. This department would need multiple large air-conditioned facilities distributed along the Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas borders to house immigrants while being processed. In place of common sense solutions this might work.

Republicans agreed with Democrats to support $53.7 billion in aid to Ukraine since February. Good for them, and for Ukraine’s welfare and future. But it begs the question: What about us? I conclude that in Arizona and the U.S. Congress, Republicans think America’s needs are too expensive, especially when it relates to children. Universal preschool? Nope. Help with childcare? Forget it! They cost too much, along with actions desperately needed to reduce fossil fuel usage to protect all children from climate change. Paying out budget surpluses to fund education in Arizona? Out of the question! And since actions speak louder than words, Republicans obviously value our children less than assault weapons, large magazines, and no universal background checks with 21-day waiting periods. The leading cause of children’s deaths is guns, only in the U.S. So, what else can you conclude: Ukraine’s $53.7 billion dollar welfare and future is more important to Republicans than our children’s welfare and future. Remember this.

Re: the June 4 letter “Bookmans: A Tucson gem.”

I second the letter complimenting Bookmans. As she points out, it’s a great way to recycle and a fun place to explore (all locations).

I might add that our Pima County Public Library is also a wonderful resource and it’s free. They provided wonderful service at the height of the pandemic and continue to do so. Hooray El Rio, Woods and Himmel. Thank you.

An open letter to Sen. Chris Murphy:

Senator, why are Democrats the only ones who feel they need to “compromise” to get legislation passed? At a time when Republicans reject any bill proposed by a Democrat, why are you caving to the industry lobby by taking a ban on assault weapons and more stringent background checks off the table?

Your answer is that something is better than nothing, but I disagree. Instead, you are giving Sens. Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell the ability to boast that they have addressed gun violence, without having done anything. It also means that banning assault weapons, stringent background checks, etc. will never happen, as Republicans will say, “We dealt with gun safety, we’re moving on.”

I think Republicans want to install a one-party system in our country, and have no intention of compromising on anything. Why should Democrats, in order to put a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound (literally), help them get there?

Re: the June 5 letter “Second Amendment interpretation.”

This letter writer says “we should try reading the Bill of Rights without interpretation” to understand the Second Amendment. The Bill of Rights says nothing of a “God-given right to protect themselves and their families.” This interpretation was made by the letter writer. Such rights, like God-given and from our Creator are in the Declaration of Independence. The framers also talk about “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Slain school children have been denied these rights.

A God-given right to protect? How about just taking the responsibility to protect. How do we protect? Yes, there is the Second Amendment. Here I push back and say our responsibility to protect also includes the passing of legislation to restrict or ban the sales of some firearms and equally important, not allowing 18-year-olds to buy AR-15’s.

A large migrant caravan estimated on June 6, to be at about 10,000 is headed to the border. It may grow to the largest ever. I think people are coming in response to the President Biden administration’s previous announcement of lifting Title 42, which has been put on hold by a federal judge. Nonetheless, the caravan consisting of people from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti is heading to the United States. The Mexican National Guard and state police allowed them entry at the Guatemalan border. One Haitian in the caravan crowd remarked, “He (Biden) promised the Haitian community he will help them, the migrants. He will recall Title 42. He will help us have real asylum.” There was a record 234,000 encounters of migrants at the border in April. Numbers for May are expected to be similar. An average of 7.400 people are encountered each day illegally entering the country between the ports of entry. Add to that about 1,000 “gotaways” a day entering and eluding Border Patrol.

I have to comment about the delayed police response to the Uvalde, Texas, mass school shooting. I don’t think for a single second that the multi-police agency officers present were “scared” of entering the school to confront the shooter, as is being commonly said. Police agencies follow a quasi-military structure. You cannot violate the chain of command to act individually and do what you feel is the best plan of action. Usually, the highest-ranking, local police official makes the call, despite federal, state and county law enforcement being present. He failed to act. Taught in police training since Columbine, the first arriving officer should run without hesitation to the shooter to stop further death or injury. There may be a minor amount of officers that may not act because they are scared — but it is a rarity. Most police are psychologically predisposed to confronting danger valiantly and would no doubt act accordingly without hesitation.

America was always intended to be the “Land of the Free.” To me, that means freedom for each of us to make our own choices and have our own beliefs (as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others). The fabric of America is changing because it needs to. It is fighting to evolve into a country that respects the rights of all. Our democracy is being strongly threatened and each of us needs to be aware and let our voices be heard.

Re: the June 6 article “AZ group vows to fight any red flag gun laws.”

So it seems Charles Heller of the Tucson-based Arizona Citizens Defense League is willing to trade the lives of innocent children in order that crazed men with automatic weapons will not be inconvenienced. How noble of him.

Re; the June 6 letter “American fabric is unraveling.”

This letter seems to attribute the unraveling of the American fabric to cookies and dolls. I would argue that the real reasons for our internal rot are more the result of the MAGA Trump worshipping demagogues, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Noise that makes billions by attracting, bewitching and lying to the poor pigeons among us, and the NRA fantasists who never met an assault weapon they didn’t think we should all own. (By the way, the letter bemoans the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy not mentioning or unaware of the fact that the bankruptcy is the result of being sued nationwide for its decades-long abetting and concealment of sexual abuse).

Many are smart enough to acknowledge that much of this is true, but haven’t the courage to admit it. Others I believe, possibly through no fault of their own, have IQs that lessen their ability to distinguish fact from fiction.

Since all men are not created equal, equality of opportunity leads to inequality of outcomes. The only way to achieve equality of outcomes is to create a special form of inequality of opportunity. Let’s not do that.

Well it’s June and our state Legislature is still in session. What happened to the required 100-day session?

So what are they doing that is taking so long, working on the budget or working on real gun laws to curtail gun violence? No, instead they are trying to make it harder to vote. They would rather enact anti-abortion laws than save already born children in school.

This fall, we have a chance to eradicate the politicians (mostly Republicans), from the state Senate, House, governor and all the other anti-children politicians that are afraid of the NRA. They have had a stranglehold on this state for too many years.

Let’s get this right and vote with your heart.

As a teacher who retired in November after teaching for 18 years at Tucson High Magnet School, I can bear witness to the fact that education is in crisis in this country. The pandemic brought long simmering issues of inequities, slashed budgets, underpaid school staff and stressed-out students to a boil. We need teachers who are living this experience in all levels of government to bring facts to debates about resolving this crisis.

I admire the commitment of my fellow Tucson High teacher, Nancy Gutierrez, who has volunteered to serve in the Arizona State House of Representative for LD18. I urge you to vote for her in the Aug. 2, Democratic primary.

Nancy and I have been involved in many social struggles together over the years — including for women’s rights, RedForEd, and against gun violence. She is the real deal — an impassioned fighter whose voice we need in the Legislature.

Thanks for considering my request.

Sen. Mark Kelly is working to lower costs. A trip to the gas station didn’t used to be a stressful outing, but it is now that I’m paying over $4 for a gallon of gas. While there’s been a lot of finger-pointing in different directions, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that corporations are taking advantage of the situation by jacking up prices.

Exxon Mobil doubled its earnings outlook and its CEO told investors that “we are getting some advantage from the market today.” With OPEC not agreeing to increase oil production, the U.S. government must work to make gas affordable for everyone.

While corporations take advantage of us, Kelly is fighting for us. He’s working to lower costs by taking actions such as introducing the Gas Prices Relief Act, which would provide us economic relief by suspending the federal gas tax. We need the rest of the U.S. Senate to pass Sen. Kelly’s bill.

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A gallon of regular at St. Mary’s Road and Interstate 10 was going for $4.49 on April 26.

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