Winson=Salem Journal LTE TU 01/15/13

A solvent system

In response to the writer of the Jan. 11 letter “Regressive tax break,” does the writer not realize these payroll taxes and such go into the Social Security system? All taxpayers have been getting breaks from that for the past two years and by doing so, less money has been going into the system.

During my working career I paid into the system to provide funds for the then-retirees and also to provide funds for my retirement. Without workers paying into the system, it would soon go broke (which it is in danger of anyway).

No one likes to see less take-home pay, but I’m sure they would like to see a solvent Social Security system when it comes their time to retire.

GERALD HINSON

Mocksville

Tell them

In response to the Jan. 9 letter “Clear evidence:”

I have the utmost respect for the writer, and I agree with what he stated. I would just like to add my thoughts to his.

He gave creditable evidence as to what other industrialized countries vs. the United States re doing about mental illness, religion and gun control. The comparisons are valid. Even though America has only 5 percent of the world’s population, we are still a huge force to be reckoned with. So why are we allowing organizations like the NRA to dictate to our Congress, both federal and state, to allow Class 3 weapons in our country?

I don’t give a flying fig what other countries are doing at this point. I want the United States of America citizens to immediately get out their pens, papers, computers, whatever means they use, and write their representatives and senators and tell them to outlaw semi-automatic and automatic weapons, silencers, etc. They’re not needed for hunting or protection; they’re just needed for mass destruction.

PATRICIA R. STOCKMEISTER

Winston-Salem

The dominant narrative

Another horrific mass shooting has made gun control the dominant narrative in the news today. The trouble with a dominant narrative is that it often conceals the root cause of a problem.

Other than from our pulpits, truthful narratives like “the breakdown of the family,” “single parent homes” and “people need the Lord” will never be offered as solutions to mass shootings. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be vigilant about replacing these secularized dominant narratives with truth-filled narratives from God’s observations and desire for the human race he created.

MIKE J. BARON

Winston-Salem

Boots on the ground

The Republicans’ outrage over Chuck Hagel’s nomination as secretary of Defense is another example of Republican hypocritical in-fighting.

Hagel was an army sergeant squad leader in Vietnam awarded two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He brings the unique perspective to the Pentagon of a grunt who has faced the results of Washington decision-makers up close and personal. He knows what it means to fight a hopeless, meaningless war, and return to an antipathetic if not hostile home front.

In his day, one combat tour was all that was expected, not the multiple deployments that have wreaked havoc in the lives of our now volunteer military.

A life-long Republican, he served as a deputy administrator assistant director in the VA under Reagan until he resigned in protest over the cost-cutting, Agent Orange debunking antics of his superiors. He knows the oily reality of Agent Orange and all the other horrors of a ground war fought as an invader.

He is exactly what our nation needs while facing a bloated Defense budget, a VA administration still straining to serve our veterans and neo-con pressures for more spending and more ground wars in the Middle East. Chuck Hagel’s boots are dirty with the mud, sweat and blood of real war and his heart carries the memories of needless sacrifice. He is an American hero, both for his service in Vietnam and, more importantly, for his constant efforts to bring a grunt’s perspective to our military, industrial and political decision-making.

RICHARD B. HILTON

Advance

Tragic opportunity

I share the wishes of the writer who grew up in a town that became known to us because of a tragedy (“Newtown, Conn.,” Jan 10). Her first wish is “that we no longer keep murderous assault weapons in American homes.”

But the National Rifle Association used the tragedy as an opportunity to promote more gun sales. Owning guns didn’t protect the mother of the Newtown killer; he used her guns to kill her before killing the others. The suggestion to have armed guards in all schools makes little sense when we consider that one screwball with an assault weapon could mow down a busload of children. He could then go on to murder a schoolyard full of children without even getting close enough to the school to hear the children scream.

The idea that more guns make us safer is proven false by comparing our murder rate with that of other industrialized democracies. Police records show that a gun in the home is more likely to kill a family member or friend than an intruder. An NRA-backed Florida law threatened to strip doctors of their medical licenses if they warned patients of the severe risk of guns in the home. A trial court ruling found that this gag rule illegally impairs the provision of medical care and may ultimately harm the patient.

It is time to work toward a safer America. It is time to reinstitute the assault-weapon ban.

CHARLES E. WILSON

Winston-Salem