Letters to the Editor

Our U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, should listen to the 90 percent of Americans who demand stricter background checks for gun purchases. She should co-sponsor H.R. 1565 to expand Brady Bill background checks on gun sales. Completing the necessary paperwork for a background check takes only minutes, and more than 91 percent of those checks are completed immediately. Along with our Second Amendment rights comes the right of our society to act responsibly and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers.

Letter: Fast track trial and punishment

We have two mass shootings in a short period of time that were leveraged by the Obama administration through the use of emotions, including the use and manipulation of grieving parents to take away firearms from law-abiding citizens. Virtually all of the proposals in the name of reducing gun violence would have had no impact on any criminal or have prevented any of the mass shootings, just us law-abiding citizens.

Letter: Council should let the people vote

I read in the May 7 Columbian story "Council denies a vote on light rail," that the Vancouver city oligarchy is not going to allow us to vote for or against the proposed light rail. It would seem that they are tired of voters voting light rail down so they have decided in their infinite wisdom, wisdom that they decided the voters do not have, that light rail is to be crammed down our collective throats, like it or not. As planned now, it will run only three miles from the river to Clark College, serving only those in a narrow corridor near the college. This expensive boondoggle has been voted on and defeated in one form or another three times. And now the city oligarchy is apparently going to use this underhanded method to get their way without input from the voters.

Letter: Be attentive to reaction to vaccine

I read a May 6 Columbian story, "Younger girls may not need 3 HPV shots; Study: Girls 9-13 protected after 2 doses of vaccine." Three years ago, my daughter received two shots and got very ill. We spent many days at Legacy Emanuel and OHSU, where it was agreed that her illness, which had all the symptoms of lupus, was triggered by the HPV virus. After a lot of tests and stress, I have done research on my own and come to the conclusion that everyone should first be tested for autoimmune disease. There are certain foreign vaccines that can trigger autoimmune disease. No one should be given any shots of any kind without first being tested for autoimmune disease, which I believe is hereditary.

Letter: Dust off your two-wheeler

I started riding a bike again after 40 years, and it has changed my life. I have lost weight, gained stamina and feel better about myself. Cycling also allows me to see the city from a different perspective. I encourage everyone who can to consider riding a bike.