2 fine takes on mass shooting
Excellent piece by Mike McCombs on America’s Gun Troubles. Well thought out and eminently reasonable ideas for state legislators to address that could allow gun sales but limit who can buy guns and further the steps needed to hopefully eliminate mass shootings.
And Cherimie Crane Weatherford’s observations from a mother watching these horrors unfold is heartbreakingly true.
How fortunate we are to have these fine writers from our hometown newspaper put so well into perspective the thoughts so many of us are having and want our legislators to respond to. NOW.
– Barbara Temple, Beaufort
McCombs was spot on
(Mike McCombs) hit the nail on the head. Spineless Republicans continue to kowtow to the NRA. Until it’s one of their children who are massacred. Then you will hear a different story. It’s a travesty and will go on till they grow some balls.
– Mike Sutton, Coosaw Point
Disappointed in Scallate
Beaufort’s recent Memorial Day parade was a wonderful display of patriotic enthusiasm and support for those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms.
But I was disappointed to learn the float for one of the County Council candidates, Josh Scallate, advertising support from the Maltese Gun Club. I happen to be familiar with the Yemassee-based gun club and know of the concerns it has created for its neighbors who have been subjected to stray bullets striking their homes.
Upon further inspection, I heard Mr. Scallate’s Statement of Economic Interests on file with the S.C. Department of Ethics, he receives an unspecified amount of income from that same gun club.
With the country reeling in despair at the latest rash of gun violence, I find it sad, and disturbing that an individual seeking votes to an office on our County Council, would be promoting his association with a gun club that welcomes not just guns and rifles but the deadly assault weapons that have taken the lives of so many innocents.
Unfortunately the national death and injured toll from gun related incidents doesn’t seem to be decreasing and all precautions should be taken to keep South Carolina from receiving such continued unfavorable publicity.
– Miriam Mitchell, Seabrook
It’s time to address mental illness
These are the rants of a retired chief of police with more than 45 years in law enforcement experience. The only thing I can say about the school shooter is mental illness. We have long overlooked this illness, dropped it in the laps of local law enforcement and ignored it. It’s about time it is addressed.
When the FBI discovered there were serial killers roaming the streets of our country, they developed a specialized unit, “Criminal Profiling Unit”, to compile data, analyze, track, arrest and assist in their prosecutions. I’m of the opinion that if they have not already done so, it is about time the FBI develop and implement a unit that specialize in compiling data on school shooters and share their findings with local law enforcement.
I believe they have the resources to develop such a computerized program to profile, detect and target these individuals. The data already exists because of the many years of school shootings which have occurred in this country. I believe that the FBI has the technical expertise and personnel to develop an algorithm to search firearm purchased databases and compare this data with mental health records.
I further believe that the FBI should be mandated to provide local FBI offices and local law enforcement agencies with discovered profiles of individuals so that they may be further investigated. The FBI should be mandated by either a Presidential Executive Order or Congressional Mandate to work closely with local law enforcement so that they can have an up-close and personal examination of these individuals.
In the interim, we have billions of unspent dollars issued to cities and towns for COVID relief. This money should be directed to fund school security plans, teaching training and coordinated programs with local law enforcement to insure and enhance student safety and protection. Additionally, with these funds a trained law enforcement officer could be placed in almost every school in the United States. Our children are worth it.
– Anthony R. Scott, Dataw Island. Scott, a retired law enforcement office, was Chief of Police for Athol, Mass.; Rock Island, Ill.; and Holyoke, Mass.
Thank you for Larry Dandridge’s articles
I am a Beaufort resident and a must reader of all the weekly articles by Larry Dandridge. As a 100% service connected disabled veteran from the USMC, he has helped me, along with so many of his colleagues, in finding a job when I returned from the Middle East, resumes, hiring processes, etc.
Dandridge and his articles are extremely valuable to me/us that I depend on his articles to keep me informed to include new information or changes that we may or may not know.
As an employee of a Military Friendly Employer, these articles are helping my organization find more ways to mentor, hire and provide help to veterans, spouses and their family members being hired and successful within.
Additionally, Dandridge’s articles have helped me tremendously, but I have also contacted him for help a couple times over the years and he has graciously provided me with valuable advice on how to help veterans with employment and how to become a better or improve as a military friendly employer.
I would like to thank you for your time and for allowing me to write a few sentences about Danridge that helps so many of us. I would also like to thank you for continuing to publish his articles, it truly means the world to so many of us.
– Mike Russell, Beaufort
