Assault weapons
Our nation was recently saddened once again by a tragic school shooting at a high school in Winder, Georgia . A 14-year-old male student used an assault rifle to kill two students and two teachers. The shooter also wounded nine other individuals who were rushed to the hospital.
I hope one of the moderators of the upcoming presidential debate will ask both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris the following question: “If you become our next president, will you push for an assault weapon ban?”
It is important for the media to hold the candidates responsible for how they answer the question. Are former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris serious about saving lives? The voting public deserves to know before the election.
Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville
Apalachee shooting
On Sept. 4, at Apalachee High School, the response was textbook perfect. The shooter surrendered to armed resource officers immediately. The school went on instant hard lock down. Police and first responders were on the scene in minutes. Emergency personnel quickly secured the scene, evacuated students, and provided medical assistance to the injured. Yet four souls were murdered.
Are we okay with this? Is our measure of success counted by the fact that were it not for the quick response it could have been a lot worse? How many is okay? I submit that one precious child or one dedicated educator struck down is one too many.
The failure wasn’t in the response. The failure lies with a society that allows a 14-year-old to be able to access an assault-grade weapon. The leading cause of death among children in the U.S. is now firearm-related injuries. As the proud father of a school teacher and grandfather of an elementary student, I live with this fear every day, as do many of you. We must adopt sensible gun safety reform to protect our innocents.
John Mitchell Johnson, Lexington
Mitch has to go
I have been watching University of Kentucky sports since 1953. It’s time to change the AD.
UK Athletic Director Mitch Bernhardt has destroyed UK athletics. Once proud with head coaches like Bear Bryant, Adolph Rupp, Rick Pitino, and other good but not great coaches, Kentucky’s future as a competitor in the SEC has become embarrassing. The 2 basketball programs are unproven. Former basketball coach John Calipari should have been gone 5 years ago. There are many women who could have brought UK success in women’s basketball after Matthew Mitchell’s departure.
And now, it is time for football coach Mark Stoops to move on. The game against the University of South Carolina showed that the UK football team does not understand the fundamentals. Stoops has not brought in competent coaching. What recruits would come to UK?
Time for both to go.
Reid Elliston, Cartersville
Harris presidency
During the four years Donald J. Trump was president, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) controlled this country. He protected Trump so he could continue to use him. He put three Trump supporting judges on the U.S. Supreme Court against the will of the people. They changed this Republic to an authoritarian country against the will of the majority.
McConnell has done more harm to this country than any foreign power in our history. If Trump were to be elected U.S. Rep. JD Vance would be in charge and he is worse than McConnell. The only thing Trump can do is worship himself.
With God’s help, Vice President Kamala Devi Harris will be able to change this Authoritarian Country to a Democracy where the people rule instead of a dictator.
Robert Ray Lillie, Georgetown
Character and competence
Political strategists, pundits and voters must be alerted to the two priorities in regard to choosing our leaders. These priorities are the issues and the candidates. So far we hear much about the economy, immigration and other issues and virtually nothing about the character, competence and dedication to service of the candidates.
If we continue to ignore this second priority we risk getting a leader who, through his own rhetoric and behavior, exhibits seriously flawed character, lack of competence and dedication only to his own self-interest. Given all this there is little expectation that our issues have any chance of favorable resolution.
So far this analysis underrates the deadly nature of our dilemma. To be more succinct, if less diplomatic, let’s ask not whether we believe the slander and misinformation on Vice President Kamala Harris. Instead we should ask if we can think of anyone — Moe, Curly or Shemp or anyone else — as likely to end the rule of law, take away our freedoms and risk our national security as the guy with the red tie who plays the accordion.
WUP - Wake Up, People
Ernie Henninger, Danville
Peace through faith
In these troubled times of social unrest, here and abroad – some say World War III is looming – we should remind ourselves why this has come about and to offer remedies.
Fundamentally, the lack of belief in God and the lack of love and sympathy for fellow human beings are the root causes of these conflicts. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said, “You will not enter paradise until you have faith; and you will not complete your faith, till you love one another,” and “The best of people are those who are most beneficial to people.”
As Muslims, we believe that the essence of peace is belief and submission to God. The word “Islam” literally means both “peace” and “submission” – thus true peace at personal, societal, and global levels can only be achieved by submission to God and love for all peoples. Hence, a motto of The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam is, “Love for all, hatred for none.” Through submission to God, we will build a better society and reverse many of the problems afflicting us today – loneliness, greed, and the vast gap between the wealthy and the poor.
Faizan Ahmed, Lexington
Mental health stigma
Mental health care is vital HEALTH care. Yet many who need it might think twice about seeking it. Why? Perhaps fear of winding up on the front page in a Herald-Leader article that really has no clear point but lots of innuendo.
The article about attorney Mary Ann Miranda states what happened, consequences faced, the strict requirements to remain a practicing attorney including the 2 year “probationary” ruling requiring monitoring. It also states UK’s full awareness and compliance with Kentucky and Federal Law.
Yet it is dangerous. It adds to the stigma for sufferers of anxiety and depression, implying recovery is impossible. Those who need mental health care might hesitate with tragic results. It also feeds another very erroneous belief: only women suffer from this health issue. Depression and anxiety ignore gender.
The article is dangerous for all Kentuckians, especially H-L readers.
As Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently said, “Doing so, we must reduce stigma and provide impactful prevention education for Ohio’s children beginning at an early age. We must help those struggling with mental illness or substance use disorders by giving them a system that provides quality treatment on demand. And we must build recovery-friendly communities that support and promote health and wellness to ensure all Ohioans can live long, productive lives.”
Katharine Starkey-Losoya; Maumee, Ohio
Exhausting apps
We are drowning in a sea of screens, notifications, and endless noise that clutters our minds and numbs our senses. Every day is a 24-hour buffet of chaos. News cycles are designed to outrage, social media feeds stoke envy, and apps are engineered to keep us endlessly scrolling. It’s exhausting and soul-sucking.
This world is screaming at us to pay attention, buy this, click that, and be outraged about everything. We’re paying the price with our sanity, relationships, and the simple joy of just being present. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can take back control.
Start by unplugging, setting boundaries, and being deliberate about what you let into your head. Choose quality over quantity, real conversations over virtual ones, and moments that ground you in reality.
Let’s get back to what’s real: sharing a meal, having a face-to-face conversation, and experiencing life without the filter of a screen. It’s about reclaiming the parts of life that make us feel alive, human, and connected.
If we keep letting ourselves be swallowed by the noise, we’re going to miss the whole darn point of being alive. So unplug, look up, and start living again.
Sandy Woodward, Ashland
Compiled by Liz Carey
Local News
