After warning in the press that he might resort to “drastic and more severe” measures to quell the unrest in Negros Oriental, President Rodrigo Duterte had ruled out declaring martial law in the province. I’m glad that I didn’t write my comments on this issue right away so now there is no need to declare martial law in Negros Oriental, which is part of Region 7 with Cebu City as its premier city in this region. There really is no rebellion in Region 7, just lawlessness in particular localities. What we need are more troops to quell the New People’s Army (NPA) that has gone on a killing spree! Communism must be stopped at all cost!
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I have another reader answer the article that we wrote last Tuesday about the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas that left 22 people dead and scores wounded and in Dayton, Ohio where a shooting killed nine people and the shooter also killed. As usual, people always blamed the free use of firearms in America and I mentioned that it was a mental health issue and America is always in denial. So here’s the letter response to that article in full.
“Dear Bobit, After reading your subject article I would appreciate it if you would accept some additional thoughts on your last half subject regarding USA recent shootings. I am Jerry Bernard, American citizen, Philippine permanent resident for 16 years, retired, living in Alfonso,Cavite.
Attributing recent mass shootings to mental health only is somewhat of a misrepresentation of the shooting problems.
There are multiple contributors which can be identified as the cause which include: Assault weapon accessibility, social media freedom, lax background checks, lack of parental responsibility,video shooting games and lack of identifying shooter mental stability.
Certainly, tightening background checks and banning sale of assault weapons is a good start leading to reduction of incidents. In the last few years, there has been no evidence that the shooters were mentally deficient or chronically mentally ill. True, their mental state was committed to the crime but not because they were out of their mind. Frankly speaking, the social media today is used by terrorist groups like ISIS, Maute and Abu Sayyaf to recruit members through indoctrination.
Perhaps your readers could better understand by asking the question of what and how these terrorist groups in the Philippines are able to sustain their membership. Certainly, it is not an exact analogy since here in the Philippines other factors exist such as poverty, religion and lack of education.
Unfortunately, here in the Philippines, gun control is a difficult problem.
In the USA, Republicans (including the President) have been balking at introducing gun control legislation partly because they have been heavily influenced (campaign donations) by a very strong lobby group called the National Rifle Association (NRA). Democrats have cried out for gun legislation but are blocked by the Republican controlled Senate. One of many excuses to block gun legislation is the 2nd Amendment guarantee to have the right to bear arms.
Bear in mind, the 2nd Amendment was passed Dec. 15, 1791 which contained no thoughts of allowing assault guns since they didn’t exist at that time. As technology improves our lives it also provides opportunities for those wishing to do evil deeds. Thank you, Jerry Bernard.”
Thank you for your comments Jerry Bernard, while I respect your opinion, there are problems in America that need to be fixed. One of them is belief in God. Many Americans no longer pray to God because they have been living a better life than in third world countries. But America must accept that many people are making money in America, and many do not have friends or relatives to help them. Hence many apps in many cellphones offer dates to many people. In my view, liberalism in America allows Americans to live a life like hell.
Anyway, I read that PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde has ordered an investigation into “8chan,” an online messaging board allegedly used by the gunman in the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas and other extremists spewing hate on the web. Gen. Albayalde has directed the police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to look into the matter.
“I asked the ACG to verify it already and monitor that website,” he told reporters at Camp Crame. I call this a positive action on the part of the PNP Chief that while we do not have mass shootings in the Philippines, it is still better to study why mass shootings in the US have never stopped. Apparently the creator of the online messaging board, Fredrick Brennan, was quoted by US media as saying he wanted authorities to shut down the site, which he started in 2013. He reportedly now lives in the Philippines.
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Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com