LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I thought Cody Mitchell made some excellent points in his June 22nd letter to the editor about what should unite us. When it comes to gun safety and gun violence, there’s no doubt that we need to see things from other points of view so we’ll understand another person’s concerns. Our feelings might motivate us to action, but the actions we take need to be based on wherever the facts lead us.

There are certainly differences between rural and urban experiences, but living in a populated area doesn’t guarantee that emergency services will arrive when they’re needed. In a rural area, that might leave someone feeling vulnerable to a home invasion. In the suburbs or cities, you could accidentally get caught up in gang violence without ever stepping out of your house.

No matter where you live, you might be a woman who’s been threatened with murder by a domestic partner, and you live in fear of them acting on that threat before you can call for help--much less have help arrive. Or you may have a family member that suffers from severe depression and just bought a gun.

It seemed that Cody was asking us to practice our Christian values and walk in each other shoes. We all come to this discussion with our biases. How can we use our biases, our experiences, and our practical knowledge to find solutions for people whose concerns may not seem important or realistic to us—but are essential to them?

Diana James Lawless