Stop bickering and think

Enough! Enough with platitudes about mental health, while gutting health care.

At some point we have to ask ourselves why we, with mental health statistics roughly the same as most other countries, have hundreds of thousands times more deaths from gun violence. Why do we spend billions to fight “terrorism” at home and abroad, when opioid addiction and gun violence kill so many more Americans and go unsolved? Too expensive? Politically dangerous? Are we so numb that all we can offer grieving parents are thoughts and prayers, and blame the schools for not being more heavily armed?

It took three minutes for that 19-year-old, messed-up kid, to kill 17 using an AR-15 assault rifle. Hello! Florida allows 18-year-olds, who can’t even buy a beer, to buy deadly assault weapons. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, every parent among us, and non-parents as well need to wise up and think. We need to stop bickering and demand judgment and common sense. As one of the Florida high school kids pointed out … we are the grownups. It’s our job to solve problems that hurt our kids. How many more will be lost before politicians get it?

Linda Hall

Spokane