Letters 01-25-2016

Jan. 22, 2016

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Weapons of Mass Destruction

Are assault rifles weapons of mass destruction? They are designed and manufactured with the primary purpose of efficiently killing people, lots of people. Recent reports of assault rifles being used in the mass killing and maiming of scores of people in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds, would seem to qualify them as "weapons of mass destruction."

As it presently stands, any person can walk in and buy an assault rifle and all the ammunition they can afford without having to answer any questions. We do not allow the general public to casually purchase machine guns, RPGs or large quantities of high explosives. A person buying a handgun must, at the very minimum, fill out a questionnaire, have a background investigation completed, a wait a set time, and have it registered before they can walk out the door. I am not anti-guns. I own several rifles, shotguns, and handguns (that are registered). I was trained to use them by an NRAcertified firearms safety instructor and adults familiar with hunting and target practice.

It would seem a "reasonable proposal" to require the purchase of an assault rifle meet the same requirements as the purchase of a handgun, plus be interviewed by someone in law enforcement to make sure they understand the seriousness of their purchase and be able to demonstrate how they are going to use it for legal purposes.

I am not naïve. I know this will not stop all murders with assault rifles. However, I’m hopeful that it’s a small step in the right direction.

David Downer, Traverse City

Easy Fix?

It seems an easy fix for the dispute on the Petoskey Northmen Indian logo would be to discontinue its use, keep the Northmen name, and develop a new logo and helmet graphic for the football team that would be acceptable to the local tribes.

Central Michigan University had these same issues in the late 1980s, are still know as the Chippewas, but no longer have the spear on the helmet. Once this is done, Mr. Harrington should attend and support athletic events and see the passion of the local students who take pride in the Northmen name they are representing in their different athletic venues.

Robert DeForge, Gaylord

Levels Of Faith & Understanding

Most of the people I know are nominal Christians. They don’t take their faith too seriously; it’s just a small part of who they are. Occasionally, some of them become more devout, and, for whatever reason, they begin to study the Bible and attend church regularly. As they become more sincere, life change happens, they begin volunteering to feed the needy and are more generous to the disadvantaged. Organizations such as Feed the Children or Mercy Medical Ships could not operate without them.

Like Christians, most Muslims are nominal too. They were born Muslim, they will die Muslim and it doesn’t go much farther than that. They mind their own business and seek a better life for themselves and their families. But occasionally some become more devout, and, for whatever reason, begin to read the Koran and attend Mosque regularly. As they become more deeply committed in their faith, life change happens. They begin to plot murder to anyone who does not share their worldview. Tolerance is anathema. The Koran commands them to kill anyone who does not convert because every breath an infidel takes is an offense to God. Suicide is highly regarded because it is the only sure path to paradise.

Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, BaHai’s, Sikhs, Shinto, et.al. are welcome in my neighborhood; I will help them unload the U-Haul. But tolerance must go both ways, am I a bigot because I don’t want a neighbor who might some day chop my head off as an act of religious devotion?

RD Johnson, Gilmore Township

Final Word On Native American Mascots

I would like to respond to the article regarding the Petoskey High School football team’s mascot depicting a Native American. The only opinion regarding whether using Native Americans as mascots that should matter are the opinions of Native Americans.

The mascot used was done tastefully and not the typical cartoon-like mascots so often used, and I can understand how folks may feel it is honoring Native Americans. However, when I see these mascots, I feel pain and anger. My ancestors were not massacred, starved, had their lands taken, had their children taken away to be placed in your "missionary" schools, had their languages and cultures beaten out of them, so we could become your sports teams’ mascots.

"Indian" mascots serve to trivialize us as a people. This has gone on for centuries, and it served its purpose then as it does now. Then, it served to mobilize the "manifest destiny" belief that justified the genocide of our people for the "progress of civilization." In those days, we were portrayed as soul-less, war-mongering savage warriors -- and the portrayal worked. The "˜mascot’ did its job. America bought the lie the mascot told, and Indian people were assaulted and massacred from sea to shining sea.

Today the "Indian" mascot serves to relegate us to second-class citizens and reduce us to mythological status. We are like a fairy tale to most Americans. These mascots trivialize who we are and insult our ethnicity and our culture. The result is we are not included in the national conversation. We are left out at every turn because America would rather have their mascot. "White, Black, Hispanic, Asian and Arab," and that’s it -- never a mention of Native Americans.

If this country truly wants to honor us, start by eliminating Columbus Day, honor the more than 500 treaties that have been and continue to be broken, learn this country’s true history, and include Native Americans when listing minorities who have fought for civil rights in this country.

Trish Astrauckas, Mancelona and member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians