It’s interesting how if someone writes something, many will believe it is true.
Letter writer Nicholas Cook states in his letter to the editor that permitless carry of firearms leads to increased gun violence. He could not be further from the truth.
There are 26 states with permitless concealed carry freedoms. Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of firearm-related homicides even though it has strict carry laws.
Eighty-three percent of states with permitless carry are at or below the national average homicide rate.
Forty-five percent of states with no permitless concealed carry laws have homicide rates above the national average.
Three out of five of the safest states have permitless concealed carry.
Two out of five of the top five most dangerous states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry, and three out of five require permits for concealed carry.
Eighty-four percent of states have a lower violent crime rate in 2022 than they did before permitless concealed carry.
It might be a good idea to do some research before spouting off about how Republicans aren’t tough on crime. It appears they at least know how to manage it better than some others.
Patrick Ely
Tenino
Like their male counterparts, women can be great, indifferent or terrible as national leaders
In theory, American women acquired fully political equality with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution on Aug. 18, 1920.
Declares the amendment: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
But according to a recent YouGov public opinion survey, some 30% of Americans would not support a woman for the presidency, essentially regardless of circumstance. One-hundred and four years after the supposed achievement of equality, ancient suspicions continue to defy logic and experience.
Those who would confine “the gentler sex” to a subordinate station should consider that 49 women are serving, or have served, as American state governors. Washington’s first female chief executive, Dixy Lee Ray, was elected as long ago as 1976.
The United States Senate has had 60 female members, 25 of whom are in office currently. Both of Washington’s senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, are women, with Murray now third in seniority out of 100.
Forty-three years have passed since Ronald Reagan appointed the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, to the U.S. Supreme Court. A total of six women serve, or have served, on the court, including the revered Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Overseas, Indira Gandhi was prime minister of India, the world’s largest democracy, for 16 years. Angela Merkel served an equivalent term as chancellor of Germany. On Oct. 1, Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first female president of Mexico.
This is not to suggest, of course, that women necessarily are better leaders than men. Far from it. Consider the experience of the United Kingdom, our “mother” country.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of Britain and served for nearly 12 years, the longest term at Downing Street in the 20th century. The “Iron Lady” generally is regarded as the most significant prime minister since Churchill.
Much less successful was Theresa May, who succeeded David Cameron as prime minister in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit debacle in 2016. May’s job, essentially, was to place a square peg in a round hole, and she couldn’t do it.
But even May was a stunning success compared to Liz Truss. Britain’s third female head of government came to power in 2022 and left in 2022, having ruled for all of seven weeks. She was famously outlasted by a head of lettuce.
Like their male counterparts, women can be great, indifferent or terrible as national leaders. Their gender is irrelevant and should not be a concern. The issues count, not sex.
Joseph Tipler
Centralia
