Editor’s Note
Back in the old days — that’s less than a decade and before there were such things as blogs and interactive conversations with readers — editors used to respond to their newspaper readers with an “editor’s note.” Sometimes it clarified a point made in a letter to the editor. Sometimes it offered a correction. Sometimes it was just a simple explanation. An editor’s note was a handful of sentences; maybe a four or five paragraphs. It was always a personal link between the editor and the reader. Only difference between it and today’s blog is the immediacy and the platform. Welcome to Editor’s Note.

Don’t gamble with gun threats

April 4th, 2009 at 01:27pm Linda Grist Cunningham

Three police officers dead in Pittsburgh today because the shooter had lost his job and was convinced the Obama administration was going to take his guns. Thirteen, plus the suicide-shooter, dead in Binghamton, N.Y. yesterday. Yeah, I hear you Second Amendment folks: Guns don’t kill people.

Angry, unbalanced people with guns kill people.

We get our share of nasty phone calls at the News Tower. Earlier this week one of our staffers took a particularly threatening one from a man who said he’d get his gun and shoot anyone who messed with him or dared come near his property — and he meant our newspaper people.

We filed a police report. In my almost 40 years of handling  out-of-control callers and visitors, I personally can remember filing less than a dozen. This time we did.

In today’s angry, armed world, when someone threatens to use a gun, it is a fool who doesn’t take it seriously. As I said the day we filed the report: I don’t want to be the one to write the headline: Register Star had early warning of shooter’s intent, but failed to alert authorities.

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3 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Archie  |  April 4th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    Each time there is a shooting, it is because one armed person — breaking the law — takes advantage of a multitude of people who are following the law and have no access to defend themselves. Guns will never be completely removed from society, the criminals will always have them.

    Fools who threaten with guns level their threats at unarmed people. If people were allowed to carry concealed weapons for self-defense, those who threaten would think twice, not knowing if they were threatening helpless persons, or persons capable of defending themselves.

  • 2. JackFoley  |  April 4th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    Notice Chuck Shumer video.
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675

  • 3. Littletommy  |  April 5th, 2009 at 6:20 am

    Everyone concerned about their personal safety (or their family’s personal safety) should be carrying a concealed weapon! I won’t leave the house without mine & when I’m at home, there’s always one within reach!

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