Jul 12, 2023 3 min read

What has happened to us?

I was not surprised to hear on a recent news broadcast that the Fourth of July is the most active period for gun violence and mass shootings of the whole year. Unfortunately, this held true, again, as mass shootings have surpassed the 300 mark this year. We are becoming so desensitized to these tragedies, that they are expected, routine, and part of life. What has happened to us?

When automatic weapons became legal, it wasn’t really such a big deal. They were just a fun toy for responsible gun owners. Occasionally, they were in the spotlight when used by organized crime. Still, if you weren’t directly affected, which most of us were not, no big deal. Now it is a big deal, because any one of us could be shot while at church, at the grocery store, or just going to work.

Unfortunately, I don’t think any of us realistically think this is ever going back to the way things were. Our society has morphed into one of violence. The best we can do is find a way to somehow lessen it. An issue on which people are harshly divided, everyone has an opinion about a solution, and I do think that some forms of legislation would help, but what? We can’t sit down at the bargaining table and begin to resolve this, because the proposed solutions swing an incredibly wide arc from “Don’t touch our rights,” to “Get rid of all guns.” So what is going to force our hand?

Remember what the world was like pre-9/11? We were dealing with escalating terror attacks but nothing totally shocking until that September morning in 2001. That shocked this nation into finding unpleasant and confining solutions that have taken away a lot of our personal freedoms and securities, but we are far safer now than we have been in recent memory from terrorism.

Unfortunately, it is going to take some horrific event with shocking circumstances that will force us to focus our efforts again. All I can say is that I pray I am somewhere else when it happens.

Sally Brown-Pawlosky

Hickory

Glad to see no politicians in parade

I would like to applaud Fred Terling and the Canonsburg Fourth of July Committee for disallowing politicians of any party from participating in the annual Fourth of July parade.

Parades are not the place for politicians. We are subjected to more of that throughout the year with signs, radio, and television advertisements. Let the citizens enjoy their parades without the political interference. I’ll bet nobody even missed them.

Sid Manning

Washington

Afflicted by Biden Derangement Syndrome

In the same week that cocaine was found in the White House, crack was discovered on a roller coaster track at an amusement park in North Carolina.

Actually, it was “a” crack, and the ride was shut down pending an investigation.

Critics of the president afflicted with Biden Derangement Syndrome were quick to mock the source of the cocaine being his son, Hunter, who has openly admitted to and received treatment for substance abuse.

Surprisingly, at least not yet, the president’s son hasn’t been blamed by Biden bashers for the crack in the North Carolina coaster. For now, rather than Hunter Biden, the culprit appears to be No More Ridin’.

Vin Morabito

Scranton