I read with interest Ms. Mandeville’s column “One Small Voice: We must learn to conquer our fears.”As usual, I agree with few of her assertions and statements, but she has every right to voice her concerns, however hollow and media clamor induced.

I do agree that we excessively reacted after 9/11/2001 with the Patriot Act, but people like her were probably all wobbly about ”we need to do something,” thus the passing of an act that eroded our rights. As for her assertions about the NRA, Big Oil, Christian Right, all the way to Rush Limbaugh being the cheerleaders in this debacle of invasion by radical Muslims — they were the only ones saying our rights were being violated and recommended acting slow to make sure the constitution was upheld in everything Congress conjured up.

But “something had to be done,” thus the “Patriot Act,” which turned out to be anything but patriotic.

The violence in this country has overall gone down over the years, but you wouldn’t know it by the nightly news. I am a proud NRA member and supporter and have a concealed carry permit. When asked why I possess a CPL, I always answer “Because I can.” It is not irrational nor dangerous to do so, it is prudent, as I am the only one responsible for myself and my family’s safety.

But I don’t think it is the best interest of anyone to have to open carry, as this causes trauma and fear to those uninitiated in the use and operation of firearms. A friend of mine whose wife is a teacher said, “There is no reason for a teacher to carry a weapon, they are there to teach, not shoot people.” I said the teachers of Margery Stoneman Douglas High School probably thought the same way until they were cornered by a madman with a weapon intent on killing.

When I said “If it’s between carrying a weapon and being able to use it and trying to hide so you won’t get shot but you are cornered and no way out, would you rather have your wife use her weapon and being home after the incident or carried out to an ambulance to the hospital or the morgue?”

He reluctantly agreed he would want her to have a chance at defending herself. If someone in that school fired back at the sniveling little coward, he probably would have turned tail and ran to save himself if he wasn’t hit.

Law enforcement officers in this country are overwhelmed with what they can and can’t do, rules changing on confronting a suspect and the peaceful and forceful apprehension of a suspect. Every incident of confrontation with police is started by a suspect being stopped and questioned. In most if not all instances, the suspect either submits to the stop and answers questions or they escalate the confrontation, necessitating the officer(s) to react with subduing the suspect.

When they run, it is dangerous for the police and the suspect, not knowing if the suspect is armed. Let me ask you this. You as an officer seeing a woman being beaten on the sidewalk with the attacker pulling her purse from her, while she struggles to hold on. As an officer, do you think the following:

1) Not my problem, he isn’t bothering me.

2) Maybe it is his purse and the woman is trying to get it from him!

3) There is an assault and robbery in progress and I should intercede.

If you are a Democrat or Republican, I would hope you would look at this situation for what it appears to be, an assault and robbery in progress. But I know that is a gross generalization.

If you are a Democrat, and the assaulter is an African-American or looks like a homeless person, you are thinking he must need the money for food, booze, or drugs. They are the underprivileged in this country and downtrodden. They need that purse.

If you are a Republican, you are seeing it as it is, an assault and robbery and the police have every right to do what has to be done to control and defuse the situation. Hopefully, the suspect submits to the police and no further action is required in the arrest after the handcuffs are applied and they are in the cruiser. The arrest made, the suspect jailed, and the case sent to trial for adjudication if the suspect says they are innocent (maybe it was their purse!).

When you are stopped for a traffic violation, do you mouth off to the officer, tell him or her to shove it, you’re not giving them any driver’s license, registration or proof of insurance. See how long it will take for another cruiser to arrive on scene, you’re dragged from your vehicle, cuffed and arrested.

When being stopped and questioned by a police officer I would hope you’d be smart and answer the questions. Short answers respectfully given do wonders. If you want to be belligerent and mouthy, don’t expect any favors. Such is life.

During the campaign, President Donald Trump said the country was being invaded by those entering our southern border. Some were just people wanting a better life, others were criminals and gang members. Is that not accurate? Everyone knows it is.

But we are a sovereign nation, and a country that cannot control its borders is not a s sovereign nation. Build the damn WALL. Now! Those who want in, get in line in front of the big beautiful door leading to the U.S. If you are not a criminal, you have a good chance at being admitted.

The Democrats want an open border to get more voters, Remocrats want the cheap labor and both want cheap gardeners, landscapers, housekeepers and nannies. This is not racist, nor bigoted; it is prudent and orderly to allow only those considered to become Americans, speak our language and follow our laws.

Trump and Putin:

The media and political pundits are going crazy because President Trump didn’t condemn the Russian President over ”meddling in our politics” when it was reported by WikiLeak’s Julian Assange that the Russians didn’t provide the information from Hillary Clinton’s server and emails. When will the media follow the bouncing ball and investigate the Clinton campaign, Hillary’s server, and the Clinton Foundation “Graft and Corruption Central?”

What about the contribution to the Clinton Foundation by a Russian unknown after the selling of uranium allowed by the Obama Administration and signed off by Ms. Clinton? And why didn’t the FBI, CIA or any other oversight organization within the government look into the Democrat server after it was suspected it was hacked by outside purveyors?

You notice when Trump on the campaign trail joked “maybe the Russians can find Hilliary’s missing emails”, the media glomed onto that like a dog with a fresh bone? What idiots.

The rotting of America from within continues….