LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The slow police response at Uvalde, Texas highlights just how unrealistic is to rely on the police for protection. The sad truth is the police rarely if ever intervene in time to stop a crime in progress. It is also a “...fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen” (see Warren v. District of Columbia, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981).

Even if our society could ban all guns mass murderers would still have other extremely lethal tools available. For example, the numerous vehicle terror attacks in Europe which have killed and wounded hundreds of people (The most lethal was in Nice France which killed 86 people including 14 children).

Senator Cornyn should forcefully advocate for providing more resources to support teachers and other staff, especially those with military training, to be armed if they so choose. The air marshal program and the arming of pilots after 9/11 worked very well – despite vocal opposition -- to stop plane terror attacks, and so will providing more support for arming teachers and staff to protect our children.

Dr Richard Griffith

Elgin, Texas