I experienced justifiable homicide; don’t make teachers go there

School teachers already have enough responsibility in the classroom. Now we expect them to be trained killers?

Not everyone has the fortitude to take a life, even when justified.

Let’s hear from military and law enforcement on the mental effects after a justifiable homicide. We need to look at the big picture.

I’m a survivor of a justifiable homicide and over 30 years later I’m still haunted by it.

Melissa Myer

Charlotte

In response to “NRA does nothing for responsible gun owners” (Dec. 28 Editorial) and related articles:

No new gun laws needed, and arming teachers not a bad thing

As an NRA member, Observer editors do not speak for me. I fully support the NRA position on no new gun control.

Fifty-one percent of America agrees with me, or do you not read your own newspaper?

Why are Observer editors so against armed guards at schools? Remember, when the Second Amendment falls the First will not be far behind.

Kenneth Clark

Lilesville

In response to “Wayward drones, unjust wars add to U.S. culture of violence” (Dec. 23 Forum):

Civilization built on voluntary cooperation, not on violence

Thank you Forum writer Cliff Homesley for raising the issue of our government’s role in our culture of violence. The history of violence by governments against citizens makes it uniquely unsuited to control all of the guns in society.

If the government wants to present itself as a keeper of the peace, it should start with its own actions. Two great places to start are in international affairs and education.

Focus on trade instead of violence abroad, and start teaching our children that the foundation of civilization was built on voluntary cooperation instead of bloodshed.

John P. Cunnane

Charlotte

In response to “Problem isn’t mental health, it’s the proliferation of guns” (Dec. 23 Forum):

Can’t ignore that cities with strict laws still have high murder rates

Forum writer Diana Travis tells us that New York City has a low murder rate due to stricter gun laws. But she neglects to mention Chicago – which has laws as strict, but had 500 murders in 2012.

She sees the truism, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” as trite and says she’d rather be hit with a baseball bat. She misses the point; the bat is just as inanimate as the guns and needs people to do the hitting.

Robert Demarest Cuminale

Charlotte

Arming ourselves would be

giving up and I won’t do that

Those calling on us to arm teachers seem to have given up on a civil and law abiding world. They seem to see a world of increasing violence and disregard for human life.

By focusing on growing the stockpile have they given up on the possibility of peaceful civilization? If they call Adam Lanza a monster, does it get them off the hook for working toward a society that can interrupt the terrible trajectory he was on?

Sandy Hook offers us a choice of direction: Give up and arm ourselves against each other, or be truly responsible for the type of world we live in. I’m not giving up.

Vicki Taylor

Troutman