School shootings: taking aim at a national problem

The latest was in Nashville.

A private Christian school. Thoughts and prayers … over and over. Are we praying for, thinking about, the wrong things. What has gone wrong?

Something should be done! Yes, something should have been done … right after Columbine, after the horrible carnage of little ones at Sandy Hook … but no! The policy makers voices, “Let’s wait until this settles out. Use more reasoning. It’s too emotional now.”

And it continues, for me and for so many others, an unsettling disbelief that we could allow this to continue, an integral part of the gun violence culture that has become a descriptor of the United States. We are offering our children on an altar of intransigence where solutions run the spectrum from eliminating all guns to arming everyone. Where slogans have become the research that fuels the inertia.

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Absolutely true. How many school children and their teachers would have died if there were no guns, particularly automatic weapons available to the people who kill people?

Beef up the security of the schools. Spend, spend on making the school house a fortress to respond to the lack of response to the role of gun violence in our nation. Allow the perverted actions of the few change the culture of education.

Arm the teachers! As a retired teacher, you can bet that I have something to say about that. The solution to gun violence is not more guns. Teachers are not gunslingers. Teachers don’t fill the voids left by the inability to sort this

FROM

THE MAILBAG Chopped trees

To the editor:

I have lived in Manlius for many years and have always enjoyed the tree lined view of our charming village as I drove down East Seneca Street. You can’t even imagine the disappointment and sadness I felt when I discovered that all of the trees had been rapidly chopped down in two nights in the cover of darkness. On Friday March 17, people gathered in the village taking pictures of the healthy large stumps left behind and they all seemed to be equally stunned by the scene. Now as I drive down the hill, I see a street void of any natural beauty. I see telephone poles, electrical wires, street signs and the bright red roof of Tops from nearly a mile away.

Attendance at the mayor’s state of the village address on March 28 confirmed to me that many local residents felt the same way about these trees. Most were completely unaware of the grand plans to remove the trees and “revitalize” the Village of Manlius. I learned that officials had determined that the trees had “outlived their usefulness.” I guess it all makes sense in the cell phone obsessed, consumer driven, throwaway society that we currently live in. Just throw all of those trees away! They’ve outlived their usefulness was the decision made for our community.

Does the Village of Manlius truly need to spend government money on an “overarching revitalization initiative”? I’m certain that the modernized Micron friendly new vision for the Village of Manlius appeals to some, especially those in power making the decisions. After the chaos of this lengthy revitalization project, I certainly hope that the Village of Manlius will look nice again someday. We will all be watching in anticipation of the many changes. I still question whether it is truly a representation of what local residents want. Make way for the new and improved Manlius! Personally I happen to love the old quaint picturesque Village of Manlius. It is gone forever.

kate MarkaM manliuS

Questions Methodist bishops’ decision

To the editor:

With great interest, I read the article about the Bible Belt rift over gay marriage in the Methodist Church on the recent front page of the Post-Standard. It was the following paragraph from it that really piqued my interest, however.

“And the Council of Bishops, 40 in total from each U.S. region, supported a plan that would strike the anti-LGBTQ+ language from the Book of Discipline and let each congregation decide what to do.”

It strikes me very important that the 40 bish- jklaiber@eaglenewsonline.com

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Ramblings from the empty nest

problem out. Does this sound like something out of a dime novel?

Take away the all guns.

Lots of luck. Guns are important parts of the mythical culture of the frontier, self-sufficiency and specific interpretations of the second amendment. Honest people hunt, though needing an automatic weapon to hunt is beyond my ken. We have numerous examples of countries that have figured out a way to separate guns from violence. Can’t we use these models as templates here?

Ann Ferro

Fix the mental health system. Words used to identify what we all suspect, that the shooters are what my grandmother would have described as “not right.” Mental health care for everyone, but especially for young people, is woefully in short supply. No one is significantly making any changes to that.

It is beyond complicated, but not beyond solution.

Still, there is something else that might be relevant as the meaning of school shootings.

A firearm is a manufactured object. It did not come from the burning bush nor is it described in the 11th commandment. There is the design, manufacture, sale, ownership and use of guns to look at as we search for solutions. Can design and manufacture be addressed as part of a solution? How do you deal with the illegal manufacture of guns, ghost guns and modifications that make single-shot weapons into automatic weapons.

Who can buy and own a gun? Yes, many states have eliminated sales and ownership of firearms to people who pose a threat to themselves and others, but, even then, triaging the potential buyer has always been difficult without longer wait times and the ability to access pertinent, accurate information. How did the shooters obtain their weapons? Was there a paper trail of information that would have set off an alert to a gun salesperson? The rules of each state are different so that you can own a gun in one state but not another. So many guns are sold illegally that laws don’t apply.

ops be asked if they made their decision based on the believe Christ voiced in the Bible or was it based solely on personal judgment. If the former, I’m sure the faithful would want to hear more about that Bible connection. If the decision was made solely on personal judgment, I don’t understand why they were made bishops. I thought all bishops must be, first of all, fervent followers of Christ.

CharleS MiruCki Fayetteville

Williams town hall

To the editor:

The April 10 town hall meeting at Chittenango High School sponsored by Congressman Brandon Williams served his stated purpose: to introduce himself to his constituents and to address his positions on various issues.

So, I know now for sure that:

Mr. Williams has no intention of supporting strong gun laws. He does not support a ban on assault rifles because “...only criminals will have these weapons…” Really? So does this make us safer because everyone will have a gun, even someone with a grudge, someone with mental health issues?

He recognizes that New York State has some of the most liberal abortion policies and he hopes to change them since he sees the issue as a states’ rights decision.

He does not recognize strong efforts to protect our environment. His solution to climate change challenges is nature working by itself, namely photosynthesis (his words!). His idea of clean energy is “…natural gas and nuclear energy...”

Mr. Williams believes that the recent funding for the IRS is akin to increased audits of the middle class that itemizes! He does not consider this as an investment to recouping the money owed by corporations or wealthy individuals who avoid paying their fair share, a gift from the previous administration.

With views such as these, I want Mr. Williams to know that these policies do not align with my views. Contrary to his beliefs, it is not just criminals who possess automatic weapons; pro-life is not pro-life, it is pro-birth that fails to provide the means to support the births: and without strong environmental policies, it will be nearly impossible to provide a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren.

Furthermore, I would like to know why brochures sponsored by the John Birch Society were in evidence. Are the views expressed in them the views of Mr. Williams? Is this the core of his values and priorities? He needs to address this issue and explain himself.

And finally, this town hall format is sorely lacking in allowing Mr. Williams to know what his constituents support. A true town hall allows give and take with questioners not only questioning but allowed to express themselves.

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When one happens, the news media rapidly produce pictures of the dead and wounded, heart-wrenching stories about each, often spoken by grief-stricken family and friends. There will be photos and video of ad hoc memorials built of teddy bears and flowers and art work and candles and balloons.

There will be film of the police who answered the 911 call, even chilling snippets of children cowering in their classrooms, calling for help. Local politicians and the police chief will hold forth on the preparation and implementation of shooter plans

School children and teachers who survived will be interviewed.

The shooter will be identified, his or her picture displayed on TV and social media. A biography of the shooter will be shared. Relatives, friends and neighbors will make comments about the shooter. Footage from the body cameras will show us the exchange of gunfire and, in most instances, the death of the shooter.

And all of these will live together as an episode in American life. A boxed set of failure. A production, another roadmap for the disgruntled, the disaffected,

It appears that Mr. Williams feels unable and unprepared to truly defend his positions face to face.

He will be holding more town halls across Oneida and Madison Counties, and yes he even consented to hold some in Onondaga County. I encourage concerned constituents to show up and make their views know. Little red cards of disagreement are a civil way to show him what he does not allow us to say in person.

ROSEAnn LOREfiCE AnD PAtRiCiA Carranti manliuS Board addresses anti-Semitism

To the editor:

During the week of April 10, two Cazenovia residents reported finding on their property plastic sandwich bags filled with stones and hate speech including anti-Semitic language, racist propaganda, Nazi symbols (swastika and flag), and recruitment messages from an organization that the Anti-Defamation League identifies as a “longstanding neo-Nazi group.” Similar incidents have happened across the United States over the past few years. The objects themselves are not a crime. However, the messages are threatening to whole groups of people and are intended as a recruitment tool.

Each year, small and large incidents occur in our community that spark concern. The Town of Cazenovia adopted anti-bias and antiracist language into legislation on January 11, 2021 through Resolution No. 15-2021, which reads:

The Town of Cazenovia is a welcoming and inclusive community. We recognize the responsibility and rights of community members to respect the personhood of all individuals to live their lives with dignity, free of discrimination based on faith, race, sexuality, gender identity, national origin or immigration status. We therefore renounce hatred and intolerance, including but not limited to: racism, misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia. We commit ourselves, as a town, to respect the diversity represented within our community and to be good neighbors to all.

While words in a legislative document may not always reach community members who feel at risk, elected officials are committed to action against hate and providing support for vulnerable residents. Any community members who have experienced or are witness to hate incidents are encouraged to:

Photograph graffiti and objects to archive as evidence of an incident

Report the incident to local law enforcement so that a record can be established

Notify town and village officials to request an investigation and an affirmation of commitment to anti-hate resolutions and to commu-

Letters l Page 7 call the hotline at 1-888-3923644, or text “HATE” to 81336

Reach out to the AntiRacism Coalition for Cazenovia at https://www.arc-c.org for additional support.

Words are only as good as the actions behind them, so please join us in embracing the commitment to respect the diversity represented within our community and to be good neighbors to all.

SuPerviSor Bill ZuPan, CounCilMeMBerS Pat raCe, kyle reger, JiMMy goluB, kelli JohnSon Cazenovia town board

Years Ago in History

BY CinDY BELL tOBEY

130 years ago – april 20, 1893

Parties were in town last week looking over the ground with a view to putting in electric lights.

They are contemplating putting in an electric light plant at Edwards Falls near Manlius and lighting Fayetteville, Manlius, Chittenango, and Cazenovia. The company which is backing the enterprise, proposes to put the plant in at its own expense, providing a contract can be made with the villages for using the light.

110 years ago – april 17, 1913

All Cazenovia schoolboys and girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years are to be given the chance to win a gold medal. The medal is to be given to the pupil between those ages who writes the best omposition, not to exceed 800 words on “The Repair and Maintenance of Earth Roads.”

The award is to be made by Logan Waller Page, Director, Office of Public Roads, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The composition may be based on knowledge gained from books or other sources, but no quotations should be made. After many years experience in dealing with the public road situation of the country, it is Page’s belief that ignorance on the subject of repair and maintenance of roads is as much the cause of their bad condition as any other factor. It is expected that the competition will bring about a better understanding of the subject of repair and maintenance in the rural districts.

Many children living in the rural districts have experienced the disadvantage of roads made impassable through a lack of proper maintenance and it is expected that their interest in the competition will stimulate greater interest among the parents.

90 years ago – april 20, 1933

Byron Davis, a member of the agricutural class of Cazenovia Central School, is winner in a statewide poultry essay contest on the subject, “Why Farmers Should Raise Official Poultry Breeders Chicks.” The prize was 25 super grade single comb White Leghorn chicks, donated by Henry Burden, owner of Longview Poultry Farm. Byron is the only boy in Madison County winning this fine honor.

The contest was sponsored by New York Cooperative Poultry Breeders, Inc. with headquarters in Ithaca.

The letter received by Prof. George H. Ilse, agriculture instructor, says “Your boys surely responded to our essay contest in full force. The quality of the essays was very high and it took good ones to win.”

70 years ago – april 16, 1953

When the trout season opened Saturday morning at 5 a.m. there was a chilly wind blowing and the temperature was 41 degrees according to Don Hart’s recording thermometer. Probably the cold accounted for fewer fishermen being on Chittenango creek than is usual on the first day. However, The Republican camera man recalls colder opening days.

A few years ago some of the gentler sex Izaak Waltons wore fur coats, some men earlapper and there were numerous bonfires along the banks where chilled fingers were thawed out. Yet in spite of brisk winds and cool temperatures Saturday there were some good catches by three-townships anglers.

Probably the best was by the area’s renowned Herby Douglass who got the limit of 10 including four 16-inch browns.

The biggest fish, of which The Republican has heard, caught by local residents was a large brown, 20 ½ inches long and weighing three pounds. Merritt Lyon, Sr. of Nelson was the fisherman and the the stream Callahan Brook near the East Nelson town line. Merrill Bailey and son, Bruce, also of Nelson, between them caught 12 browns, and Gordon S. Schutzendorf and son Gordon, of Chenango street, early on the stream, in a few hours caught enough for their breakfast, the largest 10 ½ inches.

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