Letters to the Editor for Friday, March 29

Uniforms less pricey, foster a sense of pride

Law enforcement, the military, sports teams and other entities have uniforms, which clearly identify who “belongs,” fostering discipline and a sense of pride.

I attended Catholic grade school and graduated from Catholic high school. I am grateful for the excellent education I received. I came from a relatively poor family of eight. In addition to his regular job, my father mowed and tilled the acreage for the convent and did mechanical work to help offset the cost of tuition. We worked every summer at local farms to earn money for our books and, yes, uniforms.

Contrary to certain claims made, uniforms did not “stifle individuality and creativity.” Quite the opposite, they actually freed us to concentrate on our studies instead of what someone else was wearing and how we were separated by economic factors. Everyone was on equal footing within the confines of the school buildings. We knew we all belonged to the same “team.” Friendships developed around personalities and mutual respect, not who could afford the latest fashion. Competition was about getting the best grades, not who was wearing the most expensive, high profile clothing. Almost all the folks I graduated with became very successful, many of them entrepreneurs in their own right. Uniforms were less expensive overall than regular clothes, ­no need to buy the newest, latest thing. I changed clothes in the bathroom on campus before heading off to my after-school jobs no problem.

My experiences with uniforms were mostly positive. Just sayin’.

Linda Hoxsie

Carson City

Firearms registration first step in democide

Mr. Frank Johnson stated in his letter, “registration does not lead to confiscation.” History, sir, tells a different tale.

Sir, have you ever heard the term democide? It is the elimination of a despised group by a government. It includes genocide, and all other forms of state-sponsored mass murder. The hated minority headed for extermination may be defined by religious, racial, political, class, cultural or other attributes.

Between 200 million and 260 million people were the victims of democide in the 20th century. Between 1915 and 1923, the Turkish government murdered 2 million ethnic Armenians. Stalin’s henchmen purged tens of millions of “kulaks” (farmers deemed to have too much wealth), intellectuals and businessmen. Hitler proceeded with his own “final solution to the Jewish problem.” In Communist China, over 70 million people were the victims of democide. The list goes on and on.

In every case, democide was preceded by “reasonable and commonsense” firearms registration, followed closely by confiscation and then extermination. Armed goon squads are confiscating registered legal firearms in California right now.

Sir, the Second Amendment does not “grant” us a right; it puts into writing our God-given natural right to effective self-defense, including armed defense against tyranny.

Armed people are citizens. Unarmed people are slaves. No registration, no confiscation, no extermination! Molon Labe!

J.R. Arndell

Dayton