Guns, gun violence out of control 

Unlike so many of your letter writers, I’m not a constitutional lawyer, just an engineer.

I take the second word of the Second Amendment, well-regulated, to mean that it is possible to regulate firearms which civilians are allowed to keep and bear. I could be wrong, but I read that Justice Scalia agrees.

Sawed-off shotguns, machine guns, arms with a bore greater than half-inch, and high explosives have been illegal for a long time, so regulating high-capacity magazines, which have no legitimate civilian purpose, wouldn’t be much of a slide down the slippery slope.

As an artillery cadet for four years, then on active duty for four more years, I can assure weapons lovers that the thrill of shooting military firearms is easy to give up, and forget.

Franklin Sax, Tucson, Ariz.

As a high school student, I feel that every student should feel safe coming to and participating in school. Threats and murders have been all too frequent in the United States this past year. After the tragic event at Sandy Hook Elementary, 26 innocent lives were lost. We have to try harder to prevent gun violence. Federal law requires criminal background checks for gun sales through licensed sellers; however, unlicensed sellers sell four out of 10 guns with no background check required. 

Convicted felons, domestic violence abusers, and those who are mentally ill can buy weapons at a gun show from unlicensed sellers without being checked.

Jewish tradition teaches us that we must take whatever steps we can to prevent the loss of life. The Torah commands us “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Talmud teaches us “he who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the universe and he who saves one life it is as though he has saved the universe” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). 

We students should feel safe going to school as a place of learning. All the lives being lost are tragically starting to define who we are as a country. We must prevent any more loss of life by passing stricter laws to prevent gun violence.

Mia Brown, St. Louis

Mazon visit

It was my great pleasure to visit St. Louis last month to participate in the “Where Justice and Charity Meet: Fighting Hunger in Saint Louis” program sponsored by an impressive group of partner organizations, including Community Against Poverty, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Operation Food Search, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, and St. Louis Area Foodbank.  The collaboration between such a diverse group of agencies united in the effort to end hunger clearly reflects the deep commitment in the Saint Louis community to provide assistance to the most vulnerable and support policy solutions that help address the root causes of hunger and poverty.  The needs right now in St. Louis and communities across the country are staggering.  Only by prioritizing this cause and providing committed leadership will we make headway in the fight against hunger and poverty.

Josh Protas, Director of Government Affairs for MAZON | A Jewish Response to Hunger