6/21 Letters: Legislature must use ‘common sense’ on gun bill

Regarding “House OKs bill easing concealed handgun laws” (June 8): First, I want to say how sorry I am for the congressmen and their families involved in the shooting in Virginia. As a wife, mother and grandmother in North Carolina, I know that anytime I step out the door I could be the victim of a shooting. It could be at the mall, a restaurant, a park, etc.

The legislators of North Carolina keep passing laws to make it easier and easier for anyone to get a gun. Now they want to pass a bill so that a person carrying a concealed weapon does not have to get a permit. That means no training of any kind. At least with a permit there was some training.

The Second Amendment was ratified in 1791. People wanted to have guns so they could get food for their families and protect themselves from wild animals. Nowhere does it say guns should be used for the killing of innocent people. When is the legislature going to start protecting innocent people and use some common sense?

Keep foreign-aid budget

Regarding “S.C.’s Graham and Mulvaney battle over Trump’s proposed foreign-aid cuts” (May 25): While President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord is disastrous, even more dangerous is his precedent of revoking foreign aid for those who need it the most. First, it must be clarified that contrary to popular belief, foreign aid makes up less than 1 percent of the total budget. By slashing this small part of the budget even further, millions of lives hang in the balance.

In addition, Trump talks about the importance of “America First” but fails to realize that to truly put American interests at the forefront, foreign aid should be prioritized. This is because stable nations are far less likely to fall to terrorism, a key U.S. national security interest.

Moreover, logically, a country that is growing and prospering is more likely to purchase U.S. goods than one that is going under, boosting the domestic economy. Trump’s lack of foresight means that America can never be great again, until the foreign-aid budget is restored.

Actions weaken U.S.

Regarding “Trump: U.S. to exit climate accord” (June 2): President Donald Trump campaigned on the slogan “Make America great again.” Well, he can’t do that by turning his back on the world or the future. Taking the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership does not make America great. It makes it weak and isolated. America can either look backward to a past that will never return, or look ahead to a new world full of potential.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "6/21 Letters: Legislature must use ‘common sense’ on gun bill."