Columnist out of touch on guns
3/21/2013In his Feb. 26 op-ed column, “The coming miracle on gun control,” E.J. Dionne, Jr. predicts the death of the National Rifle Association and the demise of gun ownership in the United States. He also states that most Americans don’t own guns and that gun ownership has dropped.
Mr. Dionne is out of touch with what is happening in mainstream America. Gun sales nationally are rising, according to some mainstream media reports.
Mr. Dionne should be careful what he predicts. The NRA will stand and fight.
JIM GORALSKE
Van Buren, Ohio
Gun surveyresults unreliable
Your article on the decline of gun ownership was wishful thinking (“Survey suggests decline in gun ownership; Findings raise questions about future politics of firearms across America,” March 10).
The survey forgot one major symptom of current gun ownership: mistrust of government. The liberal think tank survey producers forgot that in the past 30 years of government wanting to control our lives, many gun owners have taken their ownership, training, and purchasing information underground. Criminals have always done this, and now the law-abiding gun owner is forced to do likewise.
The statistics in the survey suggest that when a liberal think tank researcher calls a gun owner, the owner hangs up or denies owning a gun. Gun purchasing lines are longer, and liberal university researchers, newspapers, and politicians believe that gun ownership is in decline. Nice try.
JIM BROWER
Oregon
St. John’s decision about coach wrong
I strongly disagree with the letter about St. John’s Jesuit High School boys’ basketball coach Ed Heintschel’s drinking and driving issue (“Don’t be so quick to criticize coach,” Readers’ Forum, Feb. 23).
We all make mistakes, and I have no beef with Mr. Heintschel. But if he were anyone else besides a winning basketball coach, his resignation would have been accepted or he would have been fired.
The decision by St. John’s officials shows me that winning in sports, no matter the cost, is more important than setting a good example for the students on his team or the school as a whole. Drinking and driving never should be excused.
CAROL DEAL
Oregon
Coach’s successes should be listed
Ed Heintschel’s recent driving-under-the-influence charge is serious, but it pales compared to his achievements. At St. John’s Jesuit, he has mentored hundreds of young men.
The Blade has reported on the offense beyond what is required. If you are going to report on Mr. Heintschel’s one indiscretion, you should list all of his league titles, state finals appearance, and coach-of-the-year awards.
DENNY AMRHEIN
Temperance