LETTER: Lies that never die: Democrats are gun-confiscating socialists

To Ozaukee Press:

I was amused to read two rather dubious letters to the edtior from conservative points of view published recently in Ozaukee Press.

The first, from Timothy J. Landing, brought back an old lie from the past, stating that Democrats want to take away everyone’s guns.

This one surfaces year after year, and yet there has never been a bill in Congress trying to repeal the Second Amendment.

The Democrats won control of the House of Representatives partly on this issue.

People do want common sense gun safety legislation. In fact, the current Republican administration recently banned bump stocks.

As to the second letter, from Dennis Gasper, it was difficult to ascertain just what his point was in his brief essay on capitalism.

He seemed to imply that all older Americans who retire and collect their Social Security and Medicare benefits are just a bunch of lazy freeloaders.

Both Social Security and Medicare are well designed and well implemented programs that allow older Americans to retire with dignity.

They are not entitlements because we all pay into them throughout our working lives.

Mr. Landing sarcastically uses the term “liberal do-gooders” to describe Democrats in favor of gun safety legislation.

If we can make our schools safer for our kids and grandkids, then I will gladly embrace the term liberal do-gooder.

Both the writers used the term socialist in a derogatory context.

Our nation spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year on weapons of war and death and destruction.

Certainly we can afford to allocate a reasonable amount of money to assist our fellow citizens who are not as well off, who sometimes need a helping hand to put food on the table or to heat their homes in winter or need health care for themselves or their children.

If that is socialism, I’m all for it.

America can not only be about capitalism and consumerism.

It must also be about compassion.

James Korthals
Cedarburg