The Enterprise opinion pages are an open forum for our community. We encourage readers to express their thoughts about issues that appear in this newspaper or affect the community. Letters should be brief (with an outside limit of 1,000 words) and must include the writer's address, name, and phone number for verification. The editor may reject letters that have been printed elsewhere. Letters concerning elections will be cut off one issue before the election at the editor's discretion. No unsigned letters will be published. The deadline for letters is Tuesday at noon.
To the Editor:
As long as there is injustice, evil, and terrorism in this world, we need our right to bear arms.
Guns do not kill people — people do. Asbestos kills people — has it been outlawed? No. Knives can be used to kill, etc.
Consider the statistics of the number of law-abiding citizens who have guns legally compared to the several deaths or injuries. Then compare the number of deaths by criminals with guns.
We have a right to defend ourselves and our homes should a burglar break in or a rapist or a gang wishing to harass or a government that decides, as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, to take the legal guns away — leaving the good citizens to fend for themselves against thugs who raped and stole, etc.
As a young woman of 18, I was raped. I could have defended myself if I’d had a gun.
Keep your Second Amendment right and all other rights. You never know when you will have the need to protect yourself or those you love.
I respect others’ views and I pray for peace but I prepare and am aware that many dangerous situations can occur any place at any time.
Arlene Shako
Schoharie