Letters: Questions about officer’s shooting of teen holding toy gun

So many questions

Regarding the Akron police officer’s shooting of a youth who was holding a fake gun ...

Did the father know his son had such a “toy gun”? Did the mother know her son had such a “toy gun”? Did the friends of the 15-year-old boy know he had a “toy guy”?

Did the person who called police make mention of a “toy gun”? Did the police officer who came about this person know in “a split second” it was a “toy gun” in the teen’s right hand?

In the time it took to read the above, more than 20 shots of a real gun of that type could have been fired. Could you or any police officer have taken a chance of it being a “toy gun”?

The family’s lawyer made mention that Ohio is a state with the right to carry. Does that law give a minor the right to carry a handgun in his hand in public or even holstered? A minor, I think not!

I would like to know if this lawyer, upon leaving his office, a teenager confronted him, gun in hand, would he reply, “Put that ‘toy gun’ away,” or would he plead for his life?

So many questions, so many questions unanswered.

Parents or friends, please try to help our younger people not to carry real or “toy guns” anywhere.

For the parents and family of the teen who was injured, be thankful he is still alive. Lessons learned may be harsh, but are lessons learned.

Fred Dixon, Stow

Student hypocrisy

I was relieved to see there were no reports of violence at Kent State University on April 16 during Kyle Rittenhouse’s visit.

I’m also pleased to see the university assent that Rittenhouse had the same First Amendment rights as the students who did not want him to speak at all. Some university students “took up space” so Rittenhouse would not be heard by others.

Unless I missed it, I haven’t heard a word or article mentioning that Rittenhouse is a bigot. Or a racist.

The next time there is a shooting in Akron and a young person is killed, I hope that Kent State students rise to the occasion and voice their opinions about the terrible gun violence.

The article I read was full of hate, but it wasn’t coming from Rittenhouse.

Scott McCallum, Akron

Death to America?

We welcome people into the U.S.A. the legal way!

“Death to America”? Not welcome here.

Go back to your country. Fight their cause. Take those in Washington with you.

Clean up our cities, our country!

God bless America, U.S.A.

Jerry Lamm, Akron

Ask people to serve

The April 28 editorial column “Lack of rural candidates bodes ill for representative government” discusses a serious problem, for the many reasons given. It is true that responsible, civic-minded people should step up, but they don’t.

Now, it might be admitted that some leaders find that having fewer people involved makes their job easier.

We can do better. There is another way to get qualified candidates: Ask people to serve. From my labor union experience, I know that if you ask people to serve and agree to work with them or help them, they will serve.

Generally, what you show people, you will get that back. If you show disinterest in them, that’s what you'll get. If you show interest in people, that is usually what you will get back. That is true leadership. It works.

Philip Kroll, Akron

Ditch the chaos

How does one respond to the juggernaut of Donald Trump and all the chaos he has created for more than a decade? In all those years, no one has nailed down a way to ditch the chaos.

It does little good for people to denigrate Trump — the people who need to hear the truth have turned a deaf ear and, unfortunately, some have acted on the “dog whistles” that Trump has employed. How does one deal with such a situation? It seems there is no way to ditch the chaos.

His MAGA base is totally under his spell, causing fear to reign in the ranks of bullied Republican legislators across the nation. They fear losing their posts and power; thus, Washington is hamstrung. Trump contradicts himself daily; therefore, it’s useless to pin him down.

Letters to the editor sound the alarm and/or express the truth, but, ultimately, they don’t reach his ingrained followers. I feel we are treading water and can’t turn the tide. Am I the only one who feels this way?

My only hope is that thinking people will register — then, actually vote. It’s imperative that this occurs.

Jeanette Ballantyne, Akron

Unthinkable in Norton

Norton City Council has done the unthinkable. The caretakers of our land, our water, our air and our people have failed us. Council has rezoned land to allow Saint-Gobain manufacturing company into our neighborhood.

There is a documented history of environmental destruction that has a human toll. I put forward just one example from New Hampshire.

Annie Ropeik reported July 21, 2021, on New Hampshire Public Radio: “The company contaminated hundreds of water wells in Merrimack, New Hampshire, with PFAs (forever chemicals) linked to health problems and which persist in the environment.”

Mara Hoplamazian reported Aug. 23, 2023, on New Hampshire Public Radio: “Saint-Gobain … announced they are closing the plant … [and] will continue working with state regulators on ongoing environmental investigation and remediation efforts … [and] has agreed to provide alternative drinking water to more than 1,000 properties.”

The Hannon Law Firm on June 22, 2017, filed a class-action lawsuit against Saint-Gobain in Merrimack, New Hampshire, seeking compensations for discharges, spills and leaks of toxic perfluorinated chemicals.

According to the law firm’s website, losses included “property values and marketability, cost of remediation, cost of mitigation of contaminated water … loss of property enjoyment, annoyance, discomfort, inconvenience, cost of medical monitoring of early detection of illness, disease, disease process caused by exposure.”

According to Hannon, toxic properties of PFAS include testicular cancer, kidney cancer, liver function abnormalities, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and pregnancy-induced hypertension. The U.S. EPA has also advised that PFAs “may result in developmental defects on fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants.”

Norton City Council arranged zoning for 690 cluster homes here. It essentially invited families with children to play, go to school and sleep here and had the audacity to rezone to accommodate this company! The next City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, May 6.

Ann Dye, Norton

It’s satire, right?

The April 24 article “DeWine: FirstEnergy money not influential” belonged on the comics page, not the front page. Are you sure Dave Barry didn't write that one?

Robert L. Summers, Hiram

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Questions about Akron officer’s shooting of teen holding toy gun