A World War II veteran’s take on the debate over gun control

I’m hearing much about “gun safety” in America. I feel a lack of education on guns contributes to misconceptions and perpetuates discussions that do more harm than good. Everyone should know the differences in guns.

I am a World War II veteran, which does not make me an expert on guns, but I am qualified on the following weapons: air-cooled .30 caliber machine gun, water-cooled .30 caliber machine gun, Thompson submachine gun, grease gun, M1 carbine, BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), bazooka, grenade launcher, M1 Garand rifle, which was considered by General Patton as the “beast weapon developed in World War II.” I kept my M1 with me at all times. I even slept with it. It comforted me as the “rod and staff” in Psalm 23 comforts me now. My main weapon during combat was the .50 caliber machine gun. The configuration of the load was 3 ball, one blue tip, plus a red tip. No black tip. I hope this list of my background will allow some accreditation for the opinion following.

I am a gun owner. I was a member of the NRA but stopped my membership when they stated that everyone could have the weapons of war which have large magazines that can shoot many rounds before reloading. Our older guns can shoot only one bullet before manually reloading, such as a bolt-action, lever action, pump action, etc. These are the types of guns I grew up with. I now own semi-automatic guns with small magazines. My hunting rifle holds five rounds. The M1 from World War II held eight rounds. After I fire those five rounds from my semi-automatic weapon, I have to reload. I feel a true large game hunter does not need a large-capacity magazine, because a true hunter wants a shot that kills and doesn’t mutilate the meat. Even our shotguns in Oregon are only allowed a three-shot capacity — three shots and you have to reload. Shotguns are approximately 90 percent semi-automatic guns in Oregon. Why only three rounds? So you can’t kill so many ducks or pheasants before you have to reload. I have one question here: Which is more important, our kids or our birds?

Also, a gun to protect yourself should not be a gun with a large magazine. In fact, I believe weapons developed for military village fighting should stay with the military. Those weapons have large magazines.

Will small magazines end the wanton taking of lives? No. Will someone break the law and still have large-capacity magazines? Yes.

My fear as a gun owner is the forcefulness of the NRA that wants “anything goes” will eventually cause us to lose not only our small magazine, semi-automatics, but possibly all our guns. Education about types of semi-automatics should be mandatory for any further discussion of gun laws. I wonder who really needs a 30-round magazine that can be emptied in six minutes or less. Let us not go so far on gun laws that we lose the war, but let us go far enough to win the battle.

Walter Saunders lives in Richland, Oregon.

Baker stays small, and we should prefer it that way

A recent column in the Herald left me shrugging my shoulders over the content of how big cities have grown over the last 100 years here in Oregon and Baker City has not. I was left thinking “who cares.” I like our small town feel and the tight knit community here. We have a good mix of people and ideas here. That’s why I left Central California and all of its drug-riddled, crime-ridden streets of gangs and homeless. We had over 12,000 documented gang members in our city — 10 percent of the population. Do I really want all that here? I think not.

A hundred years ago, family was at the core of our way of life and somehow we’ve pushed that concept out of our thinking. We, the majority of Americans, chase the dollar and wherever that takes us. Technology has sucked us in and devoured up most of our attention and time. Just watch a group of teens, their heads rarely look up from a screen, or drivers preoccupied with talking while operating a vehicle.

I’m not convinced technology is all that it’s cracked up to be. Our society has lost the ability to communicate on a personal level and Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat seems to be as deep as we want to go or be. Those aren’t really “friends” and if you think they are, call one of them and ask them to pray for you or help you move or borrow some money. You see where I’m going, it’s all fluff and superficial. There is no depth or commitment to that relationship. And so it goes, I fear, in most of society. We are stressed to our limits and always just a text, phone call, email or post away. Always connected to social media but not really developing any real relationships.

Disconnect — leave that phone off for a day and detox yourself. Take someone to lunch and stay off the phone. Look them in the eye and ask “so, what’s going on in your life?” Take the focus off of self for a moment. We are consumed with self, hence the word “selfies.” We post every little phony aspect of our lives and wait for a thumbs up or down. That, my friend, is fake news.

Keep Baker real…

Thomas Wilcoxson

Baker City

Support Democrats’ campaign to replace Walden

The recent wave of Democratic victories in “safe” Republican districts shows that voters nationally are discovering and rejecting the empty promise of GOP ideology (like the cruel, trickle-down tax cuts for the already wealthy).

This same aversion to mindless, destructive Trump/Republican policies motivates the seven knowledgeable and energetic candidates now seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. representative in our May primary. They aim to “repeal and replace” Rep. Greg Walden in November to give us the economic, social and environmental justice we pray for and deserve.

Forty-two percent of working families in Baker County cannot make ends meet financially. The climate is warming. The rich are getting richer and ever more powerful. And the national debt is rising.

Is Walden working on any of this? We need a U.S. representative who will act on behalf of all of us in Eastern Oregon. We don’t need a wealthy pawn, glibly mouthing misleading GOP talking points, while ignoring, for example, the widespread poverty among us.

In striking contrast, the Democratic Congressional candidates are focused on the major issues we face. Links to their websites and Facebook pages may be found in the “2018 Election” section at bakercountydemocrats.org. There, you can also find links to videos of recent candidate forums, so you can see and hear the candidates in action.

To vote in the May 15 Democratic primary, you must register as a Democrat by April 24. The Voters’ Pamphlet and your mail-in ballot will arrive the end of the April.

I urge my fellow readers — especially young people, new voters, and the disillusioned — to really pay attention to this mid-term election. Our future depends on a sustainable economy and environment, neither of which we now have. Your involvement can make a difference.

Marshall McComb

Baker City