Letters to the editor: Gun violence; red flag laws; Whole Foods ad; Boulder Strong

Mara J. Goldman: Gun violence: Squarely hitting home

When the regularity of gun violence in American comes to our own neighborhood, or to that of someone we know, we all say that it is getting “too close to home.”

So, when the latest “mass shooting” happened at the King Soopers food store just down the street from where I live, the one we always shop at, we all said it was “too close to home.”  My family said that, happy to hear I was safe but shocked and scared by how close it was. I even said it, “this time was way too close to home.” And then I corrected myself.

It was home. It is home. It was the place where my kids used to ride the pony, after getting pennies from the workers. It was the place where my kids were just beginning to get too old to ride in the toy-car shopping carts; where they would pick out free cookies; get balloons; and bump into their friends. It was the place where we ran to for that missing ingredient while cooking dinner. It was the neighborhood shopping center. It was part of the neighborhood we call home.

In this way, the latest mass shooting in America hit, fractured, traumatized and forever changed home for me and many others. And I realized that every single mass shooting in America, does this for me and for everyone else who lives in the US and calls this country home. For every single mass shooting, changes our country. It changes the way we think, act, walk in our neighborhoods. It changes the way we go to our local store, walk our kids to school, think about our home.

When a shooting happens at a school in your neighborhood, but your family is OK, is it too close to home? No. It is home. When it happens in your bar in your community, in a massage parlor, in a college in your area or your alma mater?  All of those places are part of the communities that we call home. And all of them are part of the country that we call home. Maybe if we all started speaking about the latest mass shooting as not happening, “too close to home” but of hitting home, then we would all act a little bit more, fight a little bit harder to demand it somehow stop.

Mara J. Goldman

Boulder

Bob Larsen: : Red Flag laws: It’s time for more

While watching CU’s team lose to Florida State, I was told, “Now is not the right time,” when bringing up the King Soopers shootings during a break in the action.

After graduating from CU (B.A., MCD Biology, 1973), I did scientific research before completing medical school (MD, Northwestern, 1978), psychiatric residency (UCSF, 1982), public health training (MPH, UC, Berkeley, 1984) and a health policy fellowship (Stanford, 1984). As an occupational psychiatrist, I help employees with work-related tragedy. Last week, I evaluated five UPS employees following a 2017 mass shooting at a San Francisco worksite. These critical incidents don’t go away overnight.

Our nation’s flags were at half-staff following the shootings in Atlanta when ten people died in Boulder. In the past eight years, America has averaged two mass shootings per month. Pray tell, when would be the right time to discuss another act of senseless violence?

Sandy Hook and Columbine are known for their death tolls, not their curriculum. In response to shooting incidents, SWAT teams deploy with military-style precision. Grief counselors console the victims. The pattern repeats itself. If America brought this same impotent approach to fighting Smallpox and AIDS, people would be dying at epidemic levels.

My state of New Mexico has a “red flag” law. The Boulder shooter’s family could have restricted his access to firearms with such a law. A Federal background checks bill (HR8) passed the House in 2019. 90% of the electorate support the bill, including most gun owners.

Doctors For America (DFA) has proposed the formation of the National Bureau for Gun Safety, akin to the National Transportation Safety Board. My colleagues and I need your support for gun safety laws addressing background checks, red flags, safe storage, assault rifles, and a National Bureau. Now is the time to eradicate our gun violence epidemic.

Dr. Bob Larsen

CU graduate; marching band,1970

Tanya M. Gonzales: Whole Foods ad: Terrible timing

I finally found the courage to visit the memorials yesterday, to bring flowers and pay my respects to those lost in the shooting at King Soopers.  I thought I would be able to hold it together, but I cried.
I’ve been a long-time subscriber to the Daily Camera, and while reading Sunday’s addition was brought to tears again by the many businesses that took the time to post ads of respect and comfort.  Then I got to page 15.  A full-page ad for Whole Foods touting their new location at Table Mesa and S. Boulder Road. It was almost like saying, “Since you can’t go to King Soopers, come to us at the same location.”
I know businesses pay a lot to advertise and its great revenue for a newspaper, but this full-page “slap in the face” should have been in the last section with the ads, not in the middle of condolences from Boulder and beyond.  I now know what companies and businesses are truly, #Boulder Strong.

Tanya M. Gonzales

Boulder

Anthony Crebbin: Boulder: Can’t be tarnished

Like so many, I have been following the mass-shooting story closely.  Although a Missouri resident, nearly every year, I make my pilgrimage to Boulder to take part in running events, like the Boulder Backroads Marathon/Half.

Do what you will, you cannot tarnish Boulder.  The Flatirons are still standing.  Our hearts are joined as one.

Anthony Crebbin
Kansas City, MO 

Diane and Craig Jones

& Moose

We live on Boulder Creek and this guy pictured here, hung out for hours on our beach on Wednesday. Since we don’t see many moose in Boulder, I thought it might be of interest. My neighbors came over with their 5 o’clock drink and we enjoyed an impromptu, outdoor gathering as we observed the laid-back visitor. We are well aware of how dangerous moose can be. In fact, it was our pastor, Doug Gibney, who was attacked by a moose on Arapahoe Ranch a couple of years ago, if anyone remembers that story. This might be a good opportunity to remind people of the dangers. (None of us got anywhere close to take the pictures.) The moose eventually wandered west and up the mountain, but not until he had enjoyed our neighborhood and our beach.

Diane and Craig Jones

Boulder