Letter of the Day: Arming the world

Arming the world

EDITOR: Is anyone or anything immune to the consequences of their own actions? Is the United States immune to the consequences of our actions? I suggest not. Whether we are able to follow the direct causal links or not, chickens always come home to roost.

According to Amnesty International: "The United States is by far the world's largest arms trader." The Examiner reported: "The United States was once again the largest international arms supplier during the past five years."

U.S.-made weapons are being used to fuel violence in more than 170 countries. How can we solve the gun problem in this country while enabling so much violence around the world? Our military-industrial complex supports violence against people, some of whom are just as innocent as the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

All the discussion about curbing gun violence by one means or another is akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic; the real problem is that causes have consequences. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, we cannot simultaneously arm the world for the slaughter of human beings and expect to have peace at home.

JOSEPH CORNACCHIO

Santa Rosa