UCLA shooting, Second Amendment, Sanders supporters, homeless beds

More frightening gun violence

Re “Murder-suicide at UCLA turns campus into chaos” (Capitol & California, June 2): As I opened the Sacbee website on Wednesday, I saw yet another headline about a shooting at a school. I was hit with the immense sadness and twinge of fear that accompanies the news every time a school shooting occurs. It’s so unfortunate that this is now a commonplace event.

This particular tragedy hit me hard. As a senior in high school who will be graduating next week and one who will be entering the UC system at Davis, I realized that this event could’ve happened at any UC location.

It is absolutely absurd that these senseless deaths continue to occur as a result of insufficient gun control laws. When we look outward at other countries we don’t see these issues. Australia is an example that experienced the heartbreak of one mass shooting and changed its laws to avoid another mass murder.

Students shouldn’t have to worry

Reading about the shooting at UCLA was very scary for me. Unfortunately, a story like this is not all that uncommon, but is nevertheless very frightening. As a current high school student who applied to UCLA and with a cousin at UCLA, this story especially got to me. This shooting made it very real that gun violence at school is a threat to everyone at any school. Gun violence is a very big issue and more needs to be done about it. Students should not have to be worried about going to class.

‘Well regulated’ gun ownership

Re “Gun ownership not just a privilege” (Letters, June 2): It is always interesting to see that ardent defenders of gun rights, in defending their position by referencing the Second Amendment, rarely refer to the first part of the amendment, which reads, “A well regulated militia ...” They don’t seem to be as interested in the “well regulated” aspect of the right to bear arms that our Founding Fathers saw as a necessity.

What young Sanders fans want

Several letters to the editor have referred to young people who support Bernie Sanders as just wanting free stuff. Whoever says this must not know any young supporters, but I do.

They just want what previous generations have had. They want an affordable education followed by opportunities for employment. They want meaningful work that pays a living wage. They want to be able to afford housing or a doctor if they are injured or become ill. They also want a future that isn’t threatened by the devastating effects of climate change or the violence that comes from the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.

It’s a marvel that these peer-oriented youths have chosen to champion an old man because he shares their concerns. To a pessimistic baby boomer, these young Sanders supporters are our best hope for the future.

No place for identity politics

Re “Graduation season marred by silly rules” (Editorials, June 2): I could not disagree more with The Bee editorial board’s statements that rules regulating high school graduation attire “defy all logic and common sense,” and that enforcing them is “blind adherence to some bureaucratic policy.”

Although the examples given for why students should be allowed to express themselves through modifications to their graduation attire seem reasonable because we collectively agree with their slant, where does the limit actually lie? What if a student wanted to wear ISIS garb or KKK robes to convey their heritage? What if their father was SS during World War II and the student wanted to wear swastikas?

How could exempting the student examples given in the editorial but excluding those above be considered anything but arbitrary censorship?

The reasonable and fair alternative is to give all students equal standing in this important rite of passage. If you want to participate you will agree to abide by the uniform guidelines.

Homeless need more than beds

Re “Council votes to pay for more beds in homeless shelters” (Local, June 2): I’m happy Sacramento is investing more to help the homeless, but we need more than just beds to provide the homeless with the necessary supplies to actually live.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "UCLA shooting, Second Amendment, Sanders supporters, homeless beds."