Comparatively speaking

It is unfortunate that Paul Lindholdt (Letters, Sept. 19) would compare the death of Pastor Scott Creach at the hands of a sheriff’s deputy to a YouTube video depicting a man playing with firearms. Do I dare use the platitude “comparing apples to oranges”? It is also ironic that Paul seems to be included in the 13 million viewers of that video.

Mr. Lindholdt states that both incidents contradict the platitude, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” He says that, “had Pastor Creach not had a gun, perhaps he’d be alive.”

So, Paul can’t say, with certainty, that Pastor Creach “would” be alive had he not had a gun, only “perhaps.”

However, he can say, with certainty, that had one of the two “people” not been in that parking lot, Pastor Creach “would” be alive. So, Paul, it is the “human factor” only that could have definitively changed the outcome. Perhaps, Paul, you should add a little scrutiny before chewing your platitudes.

Don Hood

Spokane Valley