Let me see if I have this straight. The Republicans in Congress, following their great leaders like Tucker Carlson, are expressing multiple ideas for ending gun violence, none of which limits guns in any way. They suggest many things that are already in place and failing to prevent mass shootings, such as armed security and police officers. They suggest more prayer and going to church or arming everyone – teachers and kids. Arming impulsive children whose reasoning and decision-making are underdeveloped does not seem like a wise plan.

At least one Republican legislator thinks smartphones are probably a cause, and others suggest AR-15s are necessary to protect chickens and kill undocumented groundhogs. My dog, Punky Vader, killed two groundhogs when I was a kid, and she had no gun at all. As for the smartphones, I agree wild animals should not have access to these nor should they be able to post human videos on social media.

My dad was a hunter and a combat veteran in the infantry. He knew the difference between a hunting rifle and a war weapon. He used a 30-06 bolt action rifle to hunt deer. Of course, my dad hunted here in the east. Apparently, the groundhogs in the west must be ginormous to require an assault rifle.

And what about Davy Crockett, who “killed him a b’ar when he was only three”? He was a frontiersman from Tennessee and a member of Congress. Although days before the Texas shooting, NRA leader Daniel Defense posted an ad depicting a small child holding an assault rifle, I am sure that Davy Crockett did not need an AR-15 even when he was 3.

We protect children until the age of 21 from the dangers of alcohol and tobacco. Why not also guns?

Susan Chichetto
Bath