Too little, too late
Regarding “Senate negotiators announce a deal on guns, breaking logjam,” (June 12): As far as I’m concerned the compromise legislation on firearms announced by the Senate is too little, too late and heavy on the compromise. Specifically, rather than a federal “red flag” law consistent across all 50 states the agreement will offer money to states as incentive to enact their own laws. Is the number of dead children and adults in recent shootings not enough incentive to take action? We’ve already seen how effective incentives are with all the red states that refused to expand Medicaid. Who in their right mind thinks an “incentive” to create red flag laws will work with extremist Second Amendment supporters? I predict the number of states creating new red flag laws will be few and far between. This is just more dithering delay tactics by a GOP perfectly fine with the status quo.
David Kelly, Spring
Do you know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. And that is what Sen. John Cornyn, one of a dwindling number of Republican moderates, is trying to do to get some small bit of common-sense gun control legislation passed in a Senate where his party does not have the majority. Which Texas senator would you rather have at the negotiating table, Cornyn or Cruz? If you think that there isn’t enough being done now, just wait until after the midterms if the predictions of a Republican-controlled Senate come true. At least two more years of talk and absolutely no action.
Kenneth Campbell, Cypress
Regarding “Editorial: On gun reform, Cornyn is not trying hard enough,” (June 9): Your editorial last week was right on the mark. The headline absolutely sums up the fact that our senior senator hasn’t the courage or leadership needed to point the GOP senators in the right direction. There are so many positive and necessary changes to be made to the nation’s gun laws that are supported by a strong majority of citizens. Protecting the gun lobby and the NRA are not particularly high priorities for anyone but the politicians beholden to them for their campaign coffers. Enhanced background checks, limiting the capacity of ammunition magazines, restricting the sale of “assault-style” arms to people over the age of 21 and requiring licensure for those who would purchase these types of weapons are not out of the realm of possibilities if Cornyn had the courage to push his colleagues in that direction. It is time that our representatives begin representing the sentiments of their constituents rather than the industries and their lobbyists who push legislators to ignore the will of the people.
Bill Bentley, La Porte