Oct 28, 2017 4 min read

Editorial voices from newspapers across the country:

Minneapolis Star Tribune

The research is clear: Waiting periods can curb gun deaths

It’s no secret this country is extraordinarily divided on the issue of gun rights, and common ground has been hard to come by. That’s why it’s heartening to see fact-based evidence of a law that has produced results in curbing gun deaths without infringing on the rights of lawful owners to purchase weapons.

A new and rigorous study by Harvard Business Research shows that states with gun-purchase waiting periods consistently show 17 percent fewer gun homicides than states without such laws, saving 750 lives a year nationwide. Researchers project that a nationwide waiting period could save another 900 lives annually.

Gun owners may find a waiting period irksome, but it is a minor inconvenience weighed against lives saved. No one qualified to own a gun is denied one. The wait is, in most instances, not much more than for an Amazon delivery. Some states have exceptions for urgent situations, in which local law enforcement can authorize a bypass of the waiting period. That’s an important safeguard.

What’s remarkable about the Harvard study is that it exists at all. For 20 years a ban on federally funding research has suppressed reasonable, fact-based debate, allowing tribalistic hyperbole to dominate discussions. Guns kill tens of thousands annually in the U.S. and seriously injure thousands more. Yet this country is kept deliberately in the dark as to possible effective remedies.

The public strongly supports waiting periods. As Herrmann noted, “They are easy to understand, tangible and practical.” There may be no better start to breaking the paralysis in this country on gun issues than a reasonable, nationwide waiting period.

Kearney (Neb.) Hub

If a car is stolen anywhere in Nebraska outside metro Omaha or Lincoln, you can bet the thief probably had no special skills, such as the knowledge to hot-wire the vehicle and speed away. No, there’s very little chance that the theft involved much sophistication.

There are, however, quite a few thieves in Nebraska who are opportunistic. They are alert to opportunities, such as doors left unlocked and keys conveniently sticking in the ignition. Why wouldn’t a thief pounce on such an opportunity?

With older vehicles, built between the 1960s and 1980s, it’s even possible, with a little luck, to start a vehicle without its key, say police, who hate to see people allow themselves to be victimized because they carelessly leave their keys in the ignition.

It’s also easy for thieves to grab cars with the engine left running. Guess what, a running car is another red carpet welcome for the thief. He just needs to jump inside, slip the transmission into gear and go. It sure beats walking home on a cold winter night.

We cannot imagine the horrible feeling of discovering your car has been stolen. What could be worse, except explaining to the police and insurance agent that you rolled out the red carpet by leaving your keys in the ignition.

The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, W.Va.

It’s one of the most important things parents and grandparents can do: Read aloud to your children.

Yet, most of the time, that does not happen.

Researchers found that only about 40 percent of parents read aloud to their babies in the first three months, according to the Kids & Family Reading Report. Although more families read aloud as children get older, only about 60 percent read aloud regularly with their preschoolers.

That helps explain why educators say that about a third of children entering kindergarten lack the basic skills to learn to read, and just as critically, that almost of two-thirds of fourth graders read below grade level, the Reading Is Fundamental nonprofit reports.

Without those stronger reading skills, many students will struggle with math, science and other classes, especially as they move to middle school. Too often, when teens drop out of high school, educators can trace their difficulties back to those early reading problems. Even large numbers of high school graduates in West Virginia require remedial courses to do community college and college-level work.