Educate kids about guns

Regarding “County rolls out efforts to curb gun violence,” (City/State, Oct. 30): Free gun locks are a great start to keep guns out of the hands of children but this requires an adult to lock up the guns. What’s missing is teaching children what to do if they encounter a firearm in an unsupervised setting.

The Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program, sponsored by the NRA, provides Pre-K through third grade children with simple, effective rules to follow: “If you see a gun: STOP! Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell a Grown-Up.” This program has been taught nationally to more than 32 million children and utilized by more than 28,000 schools, law enforcement agencies and civic groups. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, unintentional firearm fatalities among children of the Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program’s targeted age group have declined almost 80 percent since the program debut in 1988.

Personally I have instructed more than a hundred children in this program through Boy Scouts, my neighbors and community groups. The program materials are offered at little or no charge to any law enforcement agency, educational facility, hospital or library across the nation. This is funded through generous donations by NRA members.

Whether you are pro-gun or anti-gun, the fact is, guns are a reality and they aren’t going anywhere. Do something positive and educate your children. This is “common-sense” gun reform we all can agree on.

Jeff Kesler, Sugar Land

Testimony speaks loudly

Regarding “House nudges inquiry forward” (Front page, Nov. 1): Republican legislators say ‘give the people back their power.’ I say to them take back the power you have abrogated and start considering House bills passed to the Senate and exercise your obligation to contain executive abuses.

We see why President Donald Trump is trying to stop everyone he can from testifying since just about every witness who has testified has in essence consistently verified the overall picture that Trump sought to get Ukraine to agree to investigate his political rival before the funds are released.

Republicans who quickly attacked the president for abandoning the Kurds in Syria seem intent on defending the president by saying his actions in Ukraine do not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.

One could almost buy that position until you remember that for a potentially corrupt intent, withholding the funds could have resulted in a complete takeover of Ukraine by Russia and may have caused preventable deaths of Ukrainian troops on the front lines.

Ron Curtis, Houston

Shameful unity

What dark days when Trump has succeeded in pulling the GOP 100 percent together, but only in prideful, belligerent support of a lie.

From the start, the whole world knew Trump was lying about his arms-for-purported-dirt-on-Biden demand of Ukraine.

To at least be honest about their new turpitude, the GOP should fly the skull and crossbones in place of the Stars and Stripes on their Grand Old Trump Party ship!

Bart Busker, Houston

Way out of step

Regarding “Too convenient to just blame the billionaires” (Opinion, Oct. 28): Cal Thomas' view on billionaires is meaningless in light of his expressed opinions about women's right to control their own bodies and his oblique criticisms of historical and contemporary figures.

His ultra conservative views are out of step with what statesmen and stateswomen seek to accomplish in the confusion of today's uneducated and confused populace. Adding to the confusion serves no useful purpose.

There is a significant difference between those who preach equity in our country and those who actively work to accomplish that equity.

Mary Ann Mitscherling, Houston