Consequences of ‘freedom’ to bear arms

This letter was in my head before I learned of the unbelievably tragic killings of two innocent babies, Ivy, 4, and Wynter, 1, formerly of Tyler, on the Fourth of July.

Their deaths at such a beautiful, hope filled, precious time of life should shake all of us to act on the word: ENOUGH! I am alarmed that as the population of East Texas increases, so does murder by firearms. It is routinely reported as just another news item. Then we see pictures of victims, and sometimes suspects. We know that all of these pictures show somebody’s son, daughter, baby, sister, brother, mother, father, and the circle widens. People and families forever shattered. The loss of these loved ones and the incarceration of the killers affects the families and communities, literally, for generations.

Accountability for these murders goes beyond the killers. Texans live in a gun culture. So all of us are responsible. We elected, ironically, many “pro-life” lawmakers who passed laws for protection of guns, and did not pass laws for reasonable gun safety. We have permitless carry, concealed carry, and open carry. We are experiencing the consequences of these misinterpretations of the “freedom” to bear arms.

All of the Texas House of Representatives and many state senators and state office holders will be up for re-election in November. They can be held accountable for their part in these killings by the voters, if we want these tragedies to end. Do you care enough to vote against them? Do you think it won’t happen to your family? I’m sure the mother of these little angels, and the family of the young athlete who died in the backseat of a pickup recently, thought that. What will be your ENOUGH?

Pat Parsons

Tyler

The old red inner tube

During World War II we kids loved playing “rubber guns.” Make a rubber band from a tire inner tube and shoot it from a wooden gun. The very best rubbers were from old red pure rubber inner tubes. Every red inner tube we found would be so full of patches it could not be patched again and had been discarded.

What was the purpose of Biden participating in the recent debate? Is it another effort to patch the old red inner tube to see if it will last another four years? Or was it to show Biden’s most staunch supporters that the old red inner tube has been patched its last time to prepare the supporters for a drastic change?

Also clear is that Biden has not run the United States since 2020. Then who?

The next few months will be interesting. What will become of the old red inner tube?

Bill Folmar

Mineola

Stay safe in heat

As extreme heat impacts our East Texas communities and beyond, the American Red Cross East Texas Chapter is encouraging residents to take three steps to stay safe: slow down, stay hydrated and spend time indoors.

1. Slow down by postponing or limiting outdoor activities, including strenuous exercise. If you must work outdoors, take frequent breaks and avoid the hottest part of the day by scheduling tasks earlier or later. Hot cars can be deadly — never leave children or pets in your vehicle alone.

2. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. Check that animals also have access to plenty of fresh water and shade.

3. Spend time indoors in an air-conditioned place. If you don’t have air conditioning, go to a public library, shopping mall or a public cooling center. CALL 211 or visit TDEM.TEXAS.GOV/WARM to find an open location. Check on loved ones and neighbors who may be at risk and do not have air conditioning to make sure they are safe.

Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for real-time weather alerts and heat safety information. Content is available in English and Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find the app in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

Karen Holt

Tyler