[=Intervention=]

SENIOR EDITORS

Jeff Bruce, Editor
(937) 225-2335
jeff_bruce@coxohio.com

Steve Sidlo, Managing Editor
(937) 225-2224
steve_sidlo@coxohio.com

Vince McKelvey, Public affairs editor
(937) 225-2166
vince_mckelvey@coxohio.com

Ellen Belcher, Editorial Page Editor
(937) 225-2286
ellen_belcher@coxohio.com

Time to unload on these hapless ones, boys and girls...

[=Intervention=]

My reply...

Dear Ms. Belcher:

Mike Peter's cartoon is both insulting and false. Let's conduct a quick thought experiment. Place a rifle in a room by itself. Wait patiently. The gun will never kill anyone. Place a rifle in the house of a law-abiding citizen. Wait patiently. The weapon will be used illegaly only when self-defense is illegal. Place a rifle in the house of a criminal bent on murder. Inevitably, the weapon will be used to murder. Therefore, the overwhelming factors in these scenarios are 1) human involvement and 2) criminal intent. Even a cursory examining of NRA publications reveal that the NRA has consistently opposed criminal behavior. Indeed, such opposition is difficult to miss! In every issue of the "America's Freedom" (as an example) is a column which showcases newspaper accounts of citizens defending themselves from the criminal element. Also, if you or I were criminals, we would certainly pick victims whom we knew would not be able to resist us with equal force. The surest way to find such victims is to locate places where gun ownership is illegal -- and curiously enough, such locales are beset with high crime rates (England and Washington, D.C. for examples). Thus, it is only humane to give potential victims a chance to even the odds against their would-be murderers -- thus the NRA defends innocent life. Peters has it wrong on every count, but the saddest thing herein is that Peters displays an ignorance which could be corrected by a quick review of any NRA magazine. Indeed, by bellowing such obvious falsehoods, he merely makes the Dayton Daily News appear sloppy, if not stupid or dishonest. I hope that the future of the News is not littered with such ill-researched lies that insult the intelligence of your readers.

Sincerely,
ZZZZZZZZ

[goodnesswins]

My letter to Mr. Cox.............

Mr. Cox:

I am appalled at the cartoon which ran today depicting a gun (with NRA tatooed on it).

First of all, do guns shoot ALL by themselves, or does it take a "village."

Second, how many NRA members have murdered people, compared to non-NRA members?

Third, how many NRA members have PREVENTED killings, rapes, burglaries, robberies, abuse, etc?

Do you have any idea how this cartoon is really perceived, and how idiotic it makes YOUR publication look?