Gun control: Our elected officials in Congress and elsewhere are cowards

Cowardly inaction

I have a message is to every senator, representative and every governor in every state of the United States — and for every member of the U.S. Congress. You are cowards! You are being held hostage by the NRA. It’s time to put on your big boy or girl pants and do something constructive about gun control.

How many more children, men and women must die because of your cowardly inaction?

Linda Jacoby, Clayton

NC senators

Our senators have blood on their hands, the blood of children and teachers in Texas, shoppers in Buffalo, countless others.

Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis are owned by the NRA, receiving millions in blood money. They represent the gun lobby rather than the citizens of North Carolina — a majority of whom support commonsense gun laws to stop the killing of innocents.

I am a psychiatrist; this is not about mental health, but the availability of guns. Republicans, keep your thoughts and prayers and your “pro-life” talk. Voters, you know what to do.

Mindy Oshrain, Durham

Gun reform

We are approaching midterm elections. Each candidate seeking office should be asked by the media how he/she will vote to enact greater regulation of guns. Publish their answers each time a political ad is run so their positions are unmistakable. Then, we must help each other get out and vote.

And, Congress needs to change the role that Mitch McConnell plays in deciding which issues the Senate votes on —regardless of the will of the American people. When the majority of citizens want to see gun reform, and one person determines the issue does not even get debated, that person is, in effect, deciding the issue unilaterally — as dictators do.

Liz Kiszely, Raleigh

Formula shortage

This baby formula crisis didn’t have to happen. A whistle-blower alerted administration officials last November. The FDA was aware when they shut down the Michigan baby formula plant in February. Yet, here we are. Babies are suffering and parents are scrambling to find formula.

It seems a crisis has to always occur before our president reacts. He is always late to the fire. Then, he and his administration typically resort to the blame game.

Pat Goodrich, Mills River

Medicaid

As a mental health professional and retired director of a mental health/developmental disabilities/substance abuse center, I know what happens when people can’t get the healthcare they desperately need: depression deepens, behaviors escalate, jobs are lost, families fall apart. Sometimes the unthinkable occurs and a life is lost.

Medicaid expansion supports access to mental health services and medications needed for treatment. The Kaiser Family Foundation found improvement in mental health outcomes in expansion states when people could get these services.

North Carolina now has an opportunity to expand Medicaid. Isn’t this what we all want: lives improved and possibly saved, less time lost from work, jobs salvaged, and families intact? These issues can be hugely impacted with the Medicaid expansion.

I urge the legislature to finally pass Medicaid expansion. So much of what we value is at stake!

Patricia B. Adams, Chapel Hill

Gas price solution?

A recent dinner-time conversation of high gasoline prices included the proposal to have North America to enact a highway speed limit of 60 mph to conserve fuel and to lower carbon emissions. Immediately the response was: If people resist mask wearing in a pandemic, they would never adopt such stewardship. What say you America?

John Gebbie, Raleigh

Pat McCrory

Regarding “‘McCarthyism within my own party.’ Pat McCrory speaks out after US Senate race loss,” (May 19):

I want to thank former Gov. Pat McCrory for running an issue/policy campaign, not one based on who is the biggest Trump loyalist. Thank you for participating in the debates, unlike others who did not. Thank you for all you’ve done for North Carolina. You inspire others to stay the course even when it’s a difficult task. I hope McCrory runs again. His voice is still needed in politics.

H. Russell Taub, Wyckoff, N.J.

This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Gun control: Our elected officials in Congress and elsewhere are cowards."