Gun-free means trouble

Well, it's happened yet again. For the 45th time since 1996 a nut job has killed in a gun-free zone. The recent Northern Illinois University massacre reveals yet again what all mass murderers know instinctively and "educators" deny: Gun-free zones are kill-free zones.

The solution is clear and it's not arming campus cops to the teeth. It's not implementing high-tech text messaging systems. It's not carrying pepper spray in your purse. If we're going to continue kill-free zones the solution is to allow trained, licensed and armed students and faculty to fight back. There is no defense like on-the-spot deadly force. The whack jobs who kill on campus know this. Why don't our on-campus "leaders"?

It's time we removed the handcuffs from law-abiding citizens. It's time to recognize that gun control is not about disarming criminals. Because we now have the 45th tragic example that this gun-free stuff isn't working.

Gordon L. Shadle, Albany

Red tape's worth it

In response to "More red tape" (editorial, Feb. 19): Yes, it will be more of a hassle, but if it keeps people from other countries (any country) that are here illegally from obtaining a driver's license, then I will be glad to help. I pay taxes and obey the laws and I expect others to do the same.

Illegals and terrorists have changed our lives forever.

So let's buck up and do what we can to combat these things. I don't like change either, but for the safety of our community, let's show the bad guys we won't be beat.

Jack Cox, Albany

Support for Obama

Barack Obama is the best candidate for president of the United States in 2008. His support is a cross- section of voters across the country. Ethnic and gender know no bounds when it comes to his support.

Why is he the best candidate? In the next eight years, a continuous new generation will fill the ballot booths in elections. Obama best speaks to the under-50 Americans, as well as the new 18-year-old voters in the next eight years.

He can take us past bitter divisions of red-blue states, and unite us into one country again. He can break the news media's insidious approach to keeping us divided, as well as their attempts to tell us how to vote.

Health care can be affordable and attainable to all Americans if we are not spending trillions of dollars on war, as well as trying to imperialize other nations for our gain, and failing at it.

Obama can mend the fences with the international community and bring the threat of terrorism down to a crawl. Obama is smart, a wonderfully, positive American, and a future commander-in-chief who will use his skills to help America reach its greatest potential in a new century - safety and jurisprudence when it comes to conflict.

It is education that will keep our country strong in the future, not only military might. We have the most nuclear bombs in the world; we already have the might. Yet, we need a better balance that only Obama can lead. He is clearly the choice of mainstream Democrats, as well as countless Independents and cross-over Republicans.

Obama needs our respect and our encouragement to unite our country, while we must reject fearing the future that is changing and coming whether we accept it or not. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Let it go. Yes we can!

Bill Looney, Shedd

The secret on Pacific

A few weeks ago a nice gentleman came in to the shop and introduced himself as the person in charge of changing Pacific. He was advising businesses of those planned changes. He knows the area and resides in Philomath.

I agreed visitors find constantly merging left confusing and sometimes tricky. I let him know of a secret many drivers use. They veer left at the sign for "Geary south," then turn right onto westbound Santiam. That places them in the left lane when they reach Walgreens without fighting any traffic at all. The engineer had just noticed that.

I mentioned also the loss of closing the onramp from Seventh. Emergency vehicles need that approach. It saves lots of time. If that is closed to normal traffic, a flashing light could warn motorists of emergency vehicles. Fire trucks already change traffic lights as they approach. Maybe it would be prudent to ban slow-moving vehicles like trucks and school buses that use that ramp heavily. They could go to the light at Hill for safety.

The city and state wanted the crossing moved from Madison to Hill. They also planned on the hub where Pacific and Santiam merge. At that time I was informed spokes would radiate out into the rest of the city. And the state recently designed the confusing mess of merging traffic westbound from Geary.

And now that far less will be done, it will take another year or two to do it. Is doing less taking more time a part of the modern math I don't understand? Or is it a penalty for requesting less change?

Roger Hawthorne, Albany