As a retailer, Bud’s Gun Shop is not responsible for mass shooting in Illinois

Lawsuit unconstitutional

In a constitutional Republic, public servants can only do what they have been privileged to do in the organic law of the founding constitution.

One thing in Kentucky, Illinois and the United States, no privilege is delegated to government to infringe the right to arms.

No, Highland, Ill. cannot “ban” firearms as no such privilege has been so allowed.

As this is true, Bud’s Gun Shop is not responsible or liable for shipping firearms to proper recipients in other states. Therefore, Bud’s Gun shop did not perform an illegal action nor endanger anyone. What, the delivery services who handled the shipment are also responsible for the evil performed in Highland Park? Maybe Congress is liable for having enacted laws securing the right to arms then.

To make lawful retailers responsible for the actions of criminals sets a very dangerous precedent. Responsibility for an act is the direct and immediate actions involved, not from a murder and theft as was the case at Sandy Hook and Remington to which Remington could never had imagined the evil there.

Don Schwarz, Stoughton, Mass.

SUD Month

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a rising public health crisis, affecting 23.5 million adults in the U.S. Too few have access to treatment, and as many as 85% who receive treatment relapse within one year.

During National Substance Abuse Prevention Month in October, I hope to build awareness regarding the need to improve the screening process for SUD and the importance of “connectedness” to long-term recovery.

As a National Certified Peer Specialist at CHESS Health, I’m part of a team offering proven, 24/7 live and digital support for individuals in treatment and recovery, delivered in partnership with healthcare providers, health plans, government agencies, and others. Our goal is to ensure that individuals with SUD have access to the support they need, wherever and whenever they need it.

If you or a loved one is struggling with SUD, please talk with your doctor or seek out available treatment options. And do what you can to help those around you in recovery stay connected, as isolation may lead to relapse. It can make all the difference.

Amber King, Nicholasville

Fund Kentucky

I agree with the recent letter writer about billions of dollars being allocated for Ukraine but none for flood ravaged eastern Kentucky.

The United States needs to stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. The United States needs to stop sending all this money to Ukraine and their corrupt government

People in Kentucky are hurting. People in Florida are hurting due to the recent hurricane. We need to help our own instead of getting involved in a war that absolutely doesn’t concern us

Western Kentucky suffered from a series of devastating tornadoes back in December and these people still need help. Before I go, one other thing: The United States helps everyone out but no other countries, and I am talking about Germany, Great Britain, Canada. None of these countries help us out when we are in need. We have to do it ourselves and it seems like the federal government does not care.

Brandon Harris, Boonville, Ind.

Veteran suicide

A new report from the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs highlights the very serious veteran suicide problem gripping Kentucky. Coverage in the Herald-Leader brings the numbers into sharper focus.

According to the most recent data, the rate of suicide among veterans residing in the state is significantly higher than the national rate for veterans - already much higher than the general population.

The troubling stats underscore the importance of an effort championed by nearly 20 U.S. Senators pushing a resolution to designate the Sunday after Veterans Day, Nov. 13, as “National Warrior Call Day.”

The resolution would draw attention to those service members, vets and first responders who may be dangerously disconnected and who may need help. The day would mark a coast-to-coast call to action for the public and those who have served to connect with those who are isolated and steer them to available resources.

Leadership in Congress can make “National Warrior Call Day” a reality and turn back a tragic trend that has dogged the nation, and Kentucky, for far too long.

Frank Larkin, COO of the Troops First Foundation and chair of Warrior Call, Annapolis, MD.

National debt

Our country has surpassed $31 trillion in debt.

In 1823, the U.S. began to pay off its national debt and in 1936 Andrew Jackson brought it to zero. In 1837, a recession occurred, then a depression that lasted until the mid-1840s. If the same happened today then the same result would occur. The national debt is the amount of money in the economy used to buy U.S. Treasury Securities. It is also part of the nation’s wealth that is held by individuals and firms.

Why is surpassing $31 trillion in the national debt a “grim financial milestone” as one national publication put it.? All U.S. debt originates as bank reserves that are obtained through economic activity. Those dollars are used to buy U.S. Treasuries. U.S. Treasuries, which guarantee an income for people who have money, can be bought only with existing dollars. The sole reason that the government would default on its debt is if the U.S. Congress decided to. The U.S. can pay for whatever is for sale (or due) in U.S. dollars without constraint, so anyone losing confidence in the U.S.’s ability to repay what it owes should explain why.

Todd Kelly, Lexington

Paul’s Promise

Words matter. Keeping one’s word is an ethical behavior.

On Oct. 4, 2019 U.S. Sen. Rand Paul signed the U.S. Term Limits Congressional Pledge. His pledge was for two (2) Senate terms and no longer.

Paul was a practicing medical doctor (ophthalmology) in Bowling Green from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. He was re-elected in 2016 and announced his candidacy for a third term in January 2022.

Obviously, Sen. Paul did not mean what he said when he signed the Pledge. I guess ethical has a different meaning in the world of alternative reality.

Jamie Kirven, Louisville