Letters: Have the mass shootings desensitized us into inaction?

I will never understand how someone, especially someone in public office, can identify themselves as pro-life and yet support a person’s right to carry an assault rifle.

Evidently, you can be a White male in public office and write legislation that denies a woman a right to an abortion regardless of the situation, and yet feel you cannot establish any gun laws that would significantly decrease children dying in school shootings.

We are now so desensitized to the frequency of mass shootings that we actually give a sigh of relief and say “Thank God, it was only six people, it could have been so much worse.” Before we have even emotionally absorbed one tragedy there will be another in a matter of days.

What is wrong with us? When did holding on to power and “winning” become more important than the sanctity of life? When did we give up on the concept of community and working together to create a better, safer, more equitable community for everyone?

It is so easy to feel helpless and do nothing. I suspect that this is exactly what people in power count on us to do.

I am a big believer that each one of us is part of the larger community and that we each can have a role to play. We cannot be heard if we are silent. Speak out.

HELEN CURRAN

Covington