Letters to the editor - May 1

Earth Day activities good experience

Earth Day was a wonderful learning/giving day for our Tucumcari school students.

The high school junior class did a major project for the beautification for our town, going in force to the cemetery and doing a massive cleanup.

The wind blows and the trash knows no better place to collect. It is my understanding they picked up and hauled off at least 20 large bags of trash.

They used rakes, hoes, bare hands, and lots of foot work and muscles to clean the cemetery.

The trash collects under the bushes and trees and multiplies every time the wind blows. Always being short handed, this gift of labor was a wonderful blessing for the cemetery and the city.

It is so greatly appreciated.

The Elementary Choir participated in an alleyway cleanup. Thanks to all of the adults who accompanied these students as they actually worked and learned to give back to their community.

And thank you to all of those who may go unmentioned.

The Boston bombings made us all so aware of a few bad kids. Tucumcari and the surrounding community can be so proud of our really good kids. Yes, we may get a little graffiti, and we may have a little mischief as they spread their wings trying to reach adulthood, but overall we have young people we can all be proud of.

We have teachers working to teach them, leaders volunteering their time and work to help show them how to build a community we can all be proud of.

Most of all, we have wonderful young people who want to learn, are willing to give, and do care about our community.

We salute you.

Betty Cooper-Coslett

Chairman, Tucumcari Cemetery Advisory Board

Gun legislation common sense

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said on numerous occasions, when opposing anything Obama proposes: "Listen to the people; give them what they want."

As the old line goes "a funny thing happened on the way in ..." McConnell decided the people did not need what they wanted.

The recent Quinnipiac poll showed that 91 percent favored background checks for gun purchases. Wayne Lapierre, head of the National Rifle Association, said no, so the 91 percent were outvoted by Mitch, a whole bunch of Republicans and a few Democrats.

Larry Prat, head of Gun Owners of America, considers the U.S. government to be largely unconstitutional and gun ownership to be a God-given right. What is scary about this is he can own a gun. He should apply for citizenship in Somalia. This organization is pushing the NRA and Republicans further to the right.

The NRA opposes background checks on the basis that it would lead to a national register. There is nothing in the law about a registry.

The NRA also opposes taking guns away from people who are under restraining orders for threats of bodily harm. The results have been deadly in numerous cases.

Statements were made by some gun advocates that the Newtown, Conn., tragedy should not have been used to pursue gun controls.

Tragedies have brought about a lot of common sense laws and changes that have made us a better and safer place to live. The shirt factory fire in New York that killed hundreds brought about fire safety rules. Poisoning of over-the-counter drugs brought about safety packaging.

Street lights expose you AND make citizens safer.

The odds are better of winning the lottery 10 times in a row than needing a gun to protect yourself from the government.

Leon Logan

Tucumcari