OPINION

From white supremacy to gun violence and possible reform to Toni Morrison's death and legacy, readers sound off on recent headlines.

USA TODAY

Deny white nationalism its base

Letter to the editor:

This weekend, when I heard about the white nationalist hate-fueled mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, a place where I once worked and studied, I went through a range of emotions. I experienced shock, concern for my loved ones, sadness, and rage. I’m stuck on rage.

My rage is directed at white nationalists who claim that their inhuman acts are in the service of protecting America for white people. They are attacking and killing people of color and have the nerve to say that they are somehow doing it on my behalf.

White people, what are we going to do about this?

I am channeling my rage into responsibility. It is my responsibility to reclaim my voice and use it in the service of making the world more just. I am making a commitment, and I invite my fellow white people to join me. I commit to working with people to dismantle racism whether it expresses itself in the hand holding a gun or the hand signing an executive order.

John Darkow/ Columbia Missourian/ PoliticalCartoons.com

Now is the time to speak out in every space we’re in. Now is the time to build organizations to combat racism. Now is the time to deny white nationalism its base of white people.

Lee Gargagliano; Oakland, Calif.

Support victims of all gun violence. We’re all in this together.

Letter to the editor:

While mass shootings are justifiably of concern, there are plenty of other shootings daily. Domestic violence and suicide also take a toll on victims, families and communities. Particularly, inner city children experience trauma by the violence in their neighborhoods.This could translate into the inability to learn, perpetuating the cycle of poverty in these communities.

Opinions exist on how to solve the mass shooting crisis. America will indeed benefit from universal background checks and extreme risk-protection orders. Research indicates that these policies save lives.This is only a piece of the puzzle.

People must support programs to address the needs of communities of color that are disproportionately affected by gun violence. These programs possess a specific aptitude for response. The same is true of suicide prevention and domestic violence groups.

We must be in this fight together and support all victims of gun violence.

Lori DiCenzo Carter; Indian Land, S.C.

People have the constitutional right to protect themselves. Law enforcement cannot protect everyone.

— Jack Brisset

The American Revolution is over. Our Founding Fathers enacted the right to bear arms in order to fight the British. Times have vastly changed. It’s time to change our gun laws.

— Roy Bean

These mass shootings will continue if people still vote for Republicans, McConnell

Luke Sharrett, Getty Images

Letter to the editor:

Last weekend, two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, occurred within 13 hours.This will keep up so long as the faithful keep attending President Donald Trump’s orchestrated rallies — so long as people keep voting for Republicans, and for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Carolina C. Butler; Scottsdale, Ariz.

In a statement Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he met with three Senate committee chairmen on the recent mass shooting deaths, calling for “bipartisan discussions” to address safety within the bounds of the Second Amendment.

Democrats act for the sake of it. More background checks won’t help. We need “red-flag” laws, which permit family or police to temporarily revoke firearms from potentially harmful individuals.

— Tom Panmayil

One of the most effective ways to get nothing done: Form a committee.

— Jack Guzman

Bill Day/ Tallahassee, Fla./ PoliticalCartoons.com

McConnell is notorious for holding up gun legislation in the Senate.

— Stephen Cooper

McConnell can talk, but the National Rifle Association still pays his bills.

— Rob Hollingsworth

What’s in your wallet? A hacker

Letter to the editor:

Capital One reported last Monday that it had faced a data breach compromising over 100 million customers’ and applicants’ personal information. Paige A. Thompson, 33, a former software engineer, was arrested by the FBI for allegedly stealing the data.

Capital One’s data breach now causes me to jump through hoops just to preserve my personal information? If we are serious about consumer protection, maybe federal regulators ought to revoke some companies’ licenses.

Banks don’t care about us. They care about money. We need to make them pay for playing fast and loose. What’s in your wallet? A hacker, apparently.

David Timmerman; Nokomis, Fla.

Capital One data breach: Capital One now needs to double down on technology

My family and I keep no data on any cloud-based platform. External hard drives have gotten so cheap that there’s no point. The instant gratification of having access to your e-books, videos and photos isn’t worth having your identity and savings stolen.

— Maria Garcia

The government needs to crack down on these companies: Force them to update security.

— Scott Daigne

There are things in place to guard against hackers, but someone with insider-level knowledge can wreak havoc.

— John Casey

This is the second time my personal information has been stolen. We are in a no-win situation. You have to put your information into companies’ systems. Obviously, companies don’t care to have the highest level of security for their customers. The limited credit monitoring they offer is a Band-Aid.

— Tina Brunner Englehart

This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Cybercrime is in its infancy.

— David M. Wargo

Morrison’s powerful words are her legacy

Ian Langsdon, EPA-EFE

Toni Morrison, the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, died on Monday at age 88.

Words can unite. Words can divide. Words can heal. But Toni Morrison’s unique ability to magically weave words that inspire was a genuine gift.

The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Imagine if we chose only virtuous words, there would be no need for a sword. Without a doubt, Morrison’s arousing and powerful words will be her everlasting legacy.

JoAnn Lee Frank; Clearwater, Fla.

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August political cartoons from the USA TODAY network