Not OK to Hunt in Our Parks
I was shocked and disappointed when I recently read in the paper that a turkey hunt is planned for our Geauga County Parks.
The parks are supposed to be places where people and families can go to enjoy a quiet and peaceful outing in natural surroundings. Our parks were developed to conserve, preserve and protect — not to provide a hunting ground for those who want to kill the wildlife that lives in them. Since when are turkeys (and deer) not included in the protection part of our parks’ mission statement?
And why do the current park commissioners think it’s OK to allow such activities? There are plenty of other places to hunt, both on private property and at hunting preserves.
I am strongly opposed to hunting in our parks and wonder how many other Geauga residents feel the same.
Rosemary Balazs
Chester Township
Stop Calling it ‘Gun Violence’
Regarding the recent senseless Boulder, Colo., tragedy, some call it “gun violence.” Please, let’s call it what it is: Murders perpetrated by a deranged individual.
Regarding the countless murders that occur every day in cities throughout this country: Some call it “gun violence.” Please, let’s call it what it is: Murders perpetrated by criminals.
As expected, some career politicians (who are always protected by armed guards) jump into action with talk of banning weapons that look a certain way, to registration proposals, etc. The problem is you can’t legislate violence out of humanity. This is a people problem, not a gun problem. That needs be the focus, not the abrogation of the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Take heed, all: History is replete with examples of governments using dramatic events as pretexts to deprive good citizens of their rights, “for the good of all.” We need guard our precious inalienable rights with courage and conviction.
I shudder to think what will become of the Republic should the Second Amendment be enfeebled or fall. Whosoever keeps and bears arms is in charge. In this country, it’s supposed to be THE PEOPLE.
Benito A. Alvarez, MD
Chester Township
Constitution Protects Everyone
As we reel in the aftermath of yet another in a long line of mass shootings, it’s time to unmask the unspoken truth around the uncompromising resistance of hard-core gun advocates to any attempt to mitigate the damage caused by gun violence.
But before we get to that, let’s examine a couple of the often used talking points offered up by gun advocates after every one of these incidents.
First, gun laws don’t work. By their logic no gun law will ever stop every occurrence of gun violence. But by the same logic no law works. Laws against murder don’t stop all murders and those against robbery and rape don’t stop those crimes. So should we ditch all laws? Of course not.
Laws aren’t passed to stop all criminal behavior, but to hold those responsible for those behaviors accountable for their actions. Couple that with the reality that most federal gun laws are rife with loopholes and it’s no wonder that gun laws don’t “work” by their definition.
Second, guns don’t kill people, people do. True enough I suppose. Inanimate objects don’t act with intent. They can’t “act” at all. But that misses the point by a wide margin. A gun is just a tool, the use of which is subject to the intent of its user. A shovel can be used to dig a hole or bash someone’s head in. A knife can be used to filet a trout or stab somebody in the heart. But only a gun is designed with the sole intent of killing. And it’s impossible to kill dozens of people from the heights of a Las Vegas hotel room with a shovel or a knife. No law will ever stop the behavior it’s leveled against, so we’re left with trying to mitigate the damage done by these crimes.
Which leads us to that unspoken truth held by all hard-core gun enthusiasts. To them the carnage and suffering wrought by the unfettered access to guns is simply the cost of freedom, like when soldiers die in war. To them, the lives lost are in “defense” of their right to the convenience of getting as many guns as they like, whenever they like.
Sure, it’s tragic they say, but a necessary cost of their freedom. When a soldier dies in war we mourn the loss, but we understand and accept it as an inevitable consequence of our defense.
Hard-core gun advocates want us all to believe that when school children are murdered in their classrooms, or shoppers are murdered while buying groceries, it’s simply the price to be paid for our freedoms, even when that price is paid by someone else. They seem to think the Constitution protects only their rights.
Tony Festa
Russell Township
Facts & Statistics
Perhaps the comments by Diane Grendell referred to by previous letters to your newspaper are not unfounded, but based on facts and statistics. The state of Ohio publishes a county-by-county rate of infection, hospital ICU admissions and death rates due to Coronavirus.
Holmes County, home of the Amish who wear no masks and do not social distance, had daily new cases 7.1/100,000 per day. Franklin County (Columbus) had 14 new cases/ 100,000 per day. Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) had 15.8 new cases/ 100,00 per day. Hamilton County (Cincinnati) had 18.1 new cases/100,000 per day.
Hospital capacity ICU used: Holmes County less than 1%; Franklin County 86%; Cuyahoga 75%; and Hamilton 81%.
Deaths: Holmes County, three deaths/100,000 (among the least in Ohio).
Some factors that may be involved in these statistics:
1. Mask wearing per county.
2. Density per county: the number of apartments and proximity of homes per population.
3. Diet: eating home grown organic plants and animals, as opposed to store and restaurant food with preservatives and additives.
4. Natural immunity: cases where one spouse gets COVID and the other living in the same home, does not.
5. Racial: Correlation between population rates and COVID rates.
6. Religious: some people have more faith in a God who protects them
7. Fear: there are those frightened to death of the boogey man, COVID. Hunkering down in their basements with double masks, and those healthy people who have had the virus with minor consequences.
8. Political: are the same people who had signs in their yard to take back the parks, criticizing their opponents for political gain.
9. Air Quality: the amount of exhaust fumes on the road compared to the amount of horse manure.
I am sure we can depend on our newspaper and news media to check these facts and statistics.
Bernard Komar
Chester Township
