False comparisons on gun violence?

The writer is responding to Wes Rhinier’s My Turn column from June 30, “No. 1 in guns but not gun murders.”

In his article Mr. Rhinier is comparing apples to oranges when he compares gun murders in the USA to two developing Latin American and a Balkan country where the governments are more unstable, law enforcement more inconsistent, there is more poverty and less opportunity. Of course these countries are going to have higher crime rates than developed nations.

When compared to other developed nations, depending on whose list, the United States is at or towards the top in gun homicides. According to a tally of gun homicides per 100,000 people in 32 developed nations, excluding Mexico, dated 2012, obtained from the United Nations through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United States is highest at approximately 3.2. Next is Chile at about 2.2. Canada is 0.5 and United Kingdom 0.1.

Many who are against sensible gun laws cite cities such as Washington, DC, Detroit, or Chicago as examples of areas with strict gun laws that still have high gun crime, and use this as criteria for less gun control because the laws seem to not be working in these areas. Fact is, gun laws are not consistent across the country, and people can purchase guns in surrounding areas where gun laws are more lax and bring them into these urban areas.

— Barry Stokes

Salisbury

 

Kudos to Rowan Public Library

I am always pleased when someone does something spectacular year after year. This year, again, the Rowan Public Library does just that.

The library, with a budgeted amount of $10,000 raised by the Friends of the Library, the continued enthusiasm of the staff, and the support of the County Commissioners, has again created a Summer Reading Program for the community.

This program is free and open to anyone from 2 year olds to the adult population. Don’t miss the fun! You can record all your summer reading, win prizes, and enjoy an entertaining program each week during the summer on all sorts of subjects. That, plus all the benefits of reading.

The number of children’s books on all sorts of subjects in Rowan Public Library’s three locations is 68,768 juvenile books, 1,258 audiobooks, and 12,681 young adult books. That certainly seems like it could at least fill a summer of reading, etc. with plenty of choices. And it can continue on into all the other seasons of the year.

Hope to see you there! Drop in and get all the information at the front desk. While there, pick up a newsletter and find out what else is happening at the library for all ages.

Working together, with the goal of having people love to read, seek information, entertain themselves and others, learn about the world around them, can only improve our lives.

Go, Rowan Public Library, keep up the great work and fun! You enrich our lives! Thank you. You are my year-round, free (our taxes at work) bookstore. No need for a summer slide … don’t wait too long, the program is already in progress.

— Fran Burding

Gold Hill

Burding is past president of Friends of the Library