Looking for a better deal

Looking for a better deal

EDITOR:

We could really benefit from an honest casino operation in Ohio. Issue 6 is a bad deal for Ohio. The loopholes would allow a completely unfit gang to avoid our laws.

One scam that I heard about is similar to a trick that Indians pull on car dealers. They buy a new car with a modest down payment then go on the reservation and pay no more — safe from any attempt to enforce any U.S. law. These old treaties really need to be redone so that they would be required to obey the laws of the land.

We could really benefit very much from a casino. It would provide employment and senior citizens enjoy the entertainment of playing their 20 or 30 dollars and visiting with friends.

Give us a casino — but not the one in Issue 6.

JOHN P. WALSH

Hubbard

Sorting out our fears

EDITOR

The elaborate observation of the most recent anniversary of the deadly attack and killing of 9/11 was pervasive. It re-emphasized an event that instilled great fear in our nation. This fear, reasonable or unreasoning, has led us to accept our government’s reaction by engaging in the military attack on two distant countries, an attack so costly that it is contributing greatly to our current fiscal deficit, inflation, and the debasement of our currency.

The citizens in those distant countries had not harmed us in any way, nor were they capable of doing so, even if they had wished. Even worse, we have devastated these foreign societies, and killed thousands of their men, women, children, sons, and daughters, and caused the exile, as refugees, of as many thousands more. And they are fellow humans, with the same feelings and capacity for suffering that we have.

And all of this largely because of fear. And is it a reasonable fear? Would we, and would our planet, not be better off had we chosen our fear more wisely?

In 2001, we suffered the murder of about 3,000 of our citizens by terrorists from other lands. We suffered, in that year alone, over 16,000 other murders committed by fellow citizens; over 11,000 of these were by gun. Assuming the same numbers (and the almanacs suggest this is reasonably accurate) in the seven years from 2001 thru 2007, we have endured about 77,000 murders by fellow citizens with guns. Of which is it more reasonable for me to be scared? Should it be the 3,000 killings by terrorists or 77,000 killings by guns wielded by fellow citizens?

I choose to be more scared of our guns. I would feel much safer were we to devote our efforts at disarming our individual selves, rather than killing innocent Iraqis and Afghans, and at such great expense. How about you?

You say that would be unconstitutional? That, I believe, is undecided by the Supreme Court. But even if it were, the Constitution can be amended. The Constitution has many defects, but its main virtue is that it can be changed without revolution. It has been done 27 times, so far. Let’s start.

ROBERT B. McCONNELL, M.D.

Youngstown

A little help, Congress

EDITOR:

Why in the world would Congress pass a bill that is not going to help the people who pay their salaries?

There are many more helpful things, like jobs, health care and helping us keep our homes. Keep our jobs here and also not allow immigrants to come here with the help of our own government to get free homes, education and welfare.

It’s time Congress started working for us,

BARBARA DRABISKI

Youngstown