— Finish this sentence: “I need an assault weapon because ...”

The Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, was adopted in 1791. At that time, firearms were single-shot muskets that took time to load and reload. I don’t believe our Founding Fathers meant for average citizens to have the right to bear assault weapons.

One argument given is, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” With an assault weapon, a person can kill a lot of people in a very short time.

Another argument is, “If you take away assault weapons, only criminals will have them.” So be it. Criminals usually use these guns against each other. How many criminals have gone to a school, shopping center, etc., and killed people?

A third argument is, “If the government takes away my assault weapon, that’s just the start; all my guns will be taken away.”

There are too many hunters and sportsman who would not allow that, nor      would I.

Do we want armed guards in schools to be the new norm for young children?

On the same day of the Newtown tragedy, a man in China went into a school with a knife. None of the 22 children he attacked was killed.

When Australia enacted gun control laws 12 days after a massacre there, the prime minister stated, “We do not want the American disease imported into Australia.”

It’s time for our government to ban assault weapons before any more innocents are killed.

Paula Popp

Geistown



Christian leaders, churches must step up

I spoke with staff in Rep. Bill Shuster’s office concerning the availability of automatic assault weapons.

In the U.S., supposedly through the lobbying power of the National Rifle Association, power through violence is the ruling influence or role model for combating violence. Violence, as a national power tool and influence, permeates to unstable persons who may believe their torments will be resolved if they have and use the most powerful weapons available to them.

At the same time, in this country we are expected to believe (pledge) our nation is under God as being synonymous with the nonviolent Christ.

I questioned Shuster’s leadership and (any other politicians’) commitment to the NRA as opposed to pledging allegiance to our country under the nonviolent, transforming behaviors of Christ and in which we are encouraged to have faith.

Congressional representatives are vulnerable to the public response of their constituents. Given the understanding that religions have privileges and authority for the spiritual leadership of our nation, where is their voice locally?

I wonder how the religious community as a whole and individual Christian churches are responding to the need to denounce all violence by symbolically advocating renewal of the ban on assault weapons? Imagine the impressionable impact Christian leaders and congregations could have if they used their power and influence to denounce all violence.

Etta Albright

Cresson



Citizens must unite to sale of guns

“The right to bear arms” written into the Constitution was penned way back when. I think the National Rifle Association and all other folks use that as an excuse for these assault guns to be legal.

Come on, guys – the Second Amendment was written in the days of Indians attacking white people in the wilderness or wild animals around their homes. Never could the men who penned those words in the Constitution have envisioned the types of guns being manufactured today.

These guns have no business being sold to anyone. Their sole purpose is to kill.

I think it is high time for us as citizens of this country to collectively begin a campaign to stop the sale of these awful killing machines and get the people who have them to turn them in to law-enforcement agencies before another terrible tragedy like happened in Newtown, Conn.

My heart is hurting for those parents who lost those innocent babies. I can hardly imagine the pain they are feeling.

Also, have the folks of this area noted how our new representative, Keith Rothfus, voted to aide the victims of the Sandy Hurricane? In case you missed that news item – he voted against the bill.

May God bless the great United States.

Virginia Buser

Boswell



Will Rothfus help if Johnstown flooded?

It looks like Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Allegheny, showed his true colors. When it came to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy, he voted against them. Just think if Johnstown had another flood. Would he vote against us, too?

Another thing I didn’t like was when a Republican on a news show I was watching said government should cut the raise Social Security people get every year. Apparently, we get too much. Although legislators gave up their $10,000 raise this year, will they give it up again?

Why is it, when it comes to making cuts in the budget, they go after the poor and elderly? They should first start cutting out the pork barrels they put in every bill they make.

I believe we need to lower the debt, but not just on the backs of the lower class.

There are senators and representatives who are collecting free money on farms they own (even though they aren’t farmers) not to grow anything. This is pure greed.

Without Mark Critz in Congress, I think we’ll be seeing Johnstown start to lose jobs come summer.

Remember, Critz was protecting the elderly from losing Medicare and having their Social Security cut. With Critz gone, who’s to stop the Republicans from dipping into the Social Security funds for their own personal use?

Personally, I see bad things happening down the road.

Homer Mattes

Johnstown

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