LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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It's still a free country

I respect Mr. Anderson's right as a citizen and a military veteran to voice his opinion about banning AK-47 rifles, but it seems he has forgotten a very important history lesson. Our Founding Fathers and the framers of the Constitution wanted citizens to keep and bear arms. It has nothing to do with target shooting, hunting or self-defense. It has everything to do with making sure free citizens have the means to overturn a tyrannical government if necessary.

As a retired 30-year police veteran I can say our law enforcement officers are very well-armed and trained and are not outgunned by the criminals. The only incidents that come to mind when the police were outgunned was during the SLA shootout in the early 1970s and the North Hollywood shootout in the mid-1990s.

Firearms cause crime like pencils cause misspelled words. It all has to do with the behavior of the person and not the product they use. You have the right not to own an AK-47 rifle but, please, do not infringe upon my right to own a firearm of my choice. This is still a free country. Let's keep it that way. — Bob McKean, Phoenix

Stop the lobbyists

A few local restaurant owners have cranked up the conservative PR machine, complete with lobbyists from the state restaurant association, to convince voters to repeal Ashland's effective meals tax. The empty rhetoric from these flacks is the familiar and failed tactics of disinformation and fear.

There is no credible evidence that restaurants in Ashland fail because of the meals tax. Gross receipts for the restaurant industry in Ashland have grown about 30 percent faster than the rate of inflation during the life of the meals tax, based on the Portland-area CPI.

According to the Ashland Chamber of Commerce Web site, about 350,000 visitors come to Ashland each year. Through the meals tax these visitors help pay for our wastewater treatment plant and our parkland. This is fair.

Please don't let the special interests and their lobbyists scare you into a no vote. — Chuck Keil, Ashland

People are the killing machines

The AK-47 is no more a killing machine than an automobile.

This is not to say that death by any means is desirable or pleasant in most cases. The real and factual killing machines are the people using or operating them for illegal and nefarious purposes.

Some people seemingly insist on using anything in a harmful manner if it meets their own ends. Until the mindset of certain individuals and groups of people determine that it is not in their best interest to use any device to harm or kill another person or animal, I feel that I am entitled, privileged and possess the right to own and use whatever "machine" or implement at my command to defend my family and myself from those types of people. Therefore, it is my choice to own and use an AK-47 without condemnation from any individual or group. — D. Casey, Medford

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