Saturday, June 27, 2009
Misplaced fears about gun laws
Letters to the Editor
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- Letters: Payroll tax holiday is no such thing
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Misplaced fears about gun laws
I am appalled that intellects such as editors and university professors use so little of their intellect when discussing gun laws. Proposed legislation to allow holders of permits to carry a concealed weapon in establishments that serve alcohol is designed primarily to allow carry in restaurants. Carrying in bars is not the major intent. In fact, people who inhabit bars may not pass the rigid requirements to get a permit.
Most people who have permits do not carry except in their car when traveling. There has never been a violation of gun laws by a person with a permit to carry in the state of Virginia, nor elsewhere that I know of. All are reputable people -- not paranoid.
To get a permit, a person must undergo training that includes laws pertaining to that right. One leaves the session believing it might be better to take the first bullet than face the criminal and civil charges.
It does seem with gun legislation, as with many other things, persons who make their decisions based on emotion rather than facts do sometimes succeed in certain fields.
Second Amendment didn't cause shooting
Re: "Neither candidate is right on guns in bars," June 24 letter:
Joyce Enderle wrote that making it legal for people to carry guns in bars is "the stupidest idea I've heard in 50 years." She then implies that the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment are the reason her neighbor's son was shot last year. In my opinion, that implication is the stupidest thing I have heard in 50 years.
I suppose Enderle would like to see the Second Amendment removed from the Bill of Rights. While we are at it, let's just trash the whole Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
I have no patience for narrow-minded people who exercise their First Amendment right yet want to deny us our Second Amendment rights.
Tech let a great teacher get away
I read in Virginia Tech's Collegiate Times that Dr. Christopher Neck (of the Pamplin School of Business) was denied promotion to full professor despite the fact that he has international recognition as both a teacher and a scholar.
He was voted the Business Week outstanding professor in 2007 and has won Tech's professor of the year award (voted by the students) on 10 occasions. He has published more than 90 scholarly articles and five books.
How can Tech deny his promotion? Sounds like jealousy from "old wood" professors to me.
Neck is moving on to Arizona State University, where he is the only professor on the 60,000-student campus with the distinction "university master teacher." As a former student of Neck at Arizona State 1993, all I have to say is "way to go Tech." Your administration let an amazing teacher get away and it's a shame that future students of Tech will lose out.
Neck is the best teacher I have ever had and actually inspires and cares about his students. Thanks to Tech's administrators for sending Neck back to us.
'Christian nation' does not mean a theocracy
Re: "By design, America is not a theocracy," June 22 letter:
The problem seems to be a confusion of word meanings. When people speak of America as a "Christian nation," they are not speaking of a theocracy ruled by clergy, but rather a republic governed by a predominately Christian populace through their elected representatives. I hope this helps.
Bridge column is back, and better
Thank you so very much for putting the bridge column back in the paper. It is great that you made it in larger print.
