Mansionization next door

Dear Editor:

My heart goes out to the Graber family. I suspect they have no recourse when it comes to this particular “monstrosity” being built next door.

We have a world filled with people who take more than their share of the land. It was unfair for the city to approve these plans in the first place, but it would also be unfair to make the owner tear it down now that he has city approval. This would result in a lawsuit.

I would suggest to them that they hire a landscape company to plan something to hide the thing—perhaps plant a row of Cherry Laurel trees to hide as much of the monster as possible over the coming years. These trees can be trimmed like hedges and grow 30 feet within a few years.

If the neighbor is a good guy, perhaps he might pay for this to help make peace with the neighbors.

Constance Condit

Claremont

Gun control

Dear Editor:

Please join the League of Women Voters and contact your members of Congress to urge them to find common-sense solutions to the gun violence that is plaguing our nation. A solution is necessary for the millions of Americans at risk every day.

It is time for Congress to adopt legislation that will close the gun show loophole, increase penalties for straw purchases of guns, ban assault weapons, place limits on high capacity ammunition magazine size, and fund research and reporting on gun violence in America. Curbing gun violence is a critical matter of public safety, public health, and public confidence.

Along with the majority of American citizens, the League supports closing the gun show loophole and providing for universal background checks. 

Currently, background checks are not required for the 40 percent of gun sales that take place during gun shows, person-to-person sales or other private transactions.  

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 92 percent of voters, including 91 percent of gun owners, support background checks on all gun purchasers.

In addition, Congress should pass legislation to increase the penalties for straw purchases in which individuals who do not have criminal records buy guns and pass them on to individuals who are not eligible to purchase a firearm, including felons and domestic abusers.

The League also believes that the 113th Congress should pass legislation to ban all military-style semi-automatic assault weapons along with high-capacity ammunition magazines. 

The Quinnipiac poll found that 56 percent of registered voters nationwide support a ban on the sale of assault weapons.  Placing limits on magazine size is a common-sense solution to shootings that kill many people at once. This limit should include magazines and other ammunition-feeding devices that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. These devices allow shooters to fire numerous rounds in rapid succession without having to stop and reload, and they have been a central part in the mass killings of recent years.

Throughout the country, local and state Leagues have been holding meetings with their fellow citizens to discuss the crisis of gun violence. They have testified before state legislatures and met with their neighbors in community gatherings to come together, air their differences and work to find common ground and solve some of the difficult problems presented in the gun debate, including mental health issues and the problem of domestic violence. 

Congress should follow suit and start to act on common-sense solutions to curb gun violence.

Ellen Taylor

Vice President, Advocacy

LWV of the Claremont Area