Tag: The Age

I commend the two Grant High School students, Caiden D. Reid ("I'm a Grant student who's been berated for my views," July 23) and Oliver Kline ("Really? None of the 1,500 kids in my school leans conservative?," July 15), for their well-written and insightful articles submitted to The Oregonian/OregonLive. They should know, however, that it wasn't too long ago, before these young men were born, the conservative side took very strident positions in marginalizing liberal views going back to the 1980s and early '90s. Back then, "liberal" was a dirty word, and liberals were branded as anti-faith, anti-life (by taking a pro-choice position), soft on crime, anti-gun and weak on national defense. As a liberal, I resented their tactics and believed the left would not adopt them. It is unfortunate, however, that we have. The U.S. has faced tough problems in the past, but we were able to solve them by focusing on what both sides had in common first while working through the differences. July 15) and Caiden D. Reid ("I'm a Grant student who's been berated for my views," July 23) for your courage in speaking out. When I went to school, free speech and free exchange of ideas were encouraged. For you high school students to step out and speak your minds was a true act of courage.

Florida Governor Rick Scott announced on Friday that he wants to raise the age limit in the state for buying a firearm to the age of 21, just one week after a 19-year-old shot allegedly 17 people at a high school in the state. Scott also said Florida would completely ban bump stocks, which dramatically increase semi-automatic weapons’ potential rate of fire, and prohibit the mentally ill from accessing weapons. “There will be exceptions for active duty, reserved military and spouses, national guard members and law enforcement.” Scott’s announcement was part of his comprehensive plan to address school safety in the wake of last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The plan, which he said he wanted to implement within the next two weeks, covers gun laws, school safety, and mental health. (While the students were there, the Florida House declined to take up legislation to ban assault rifles.) “This is a time when I believe we must come together and even cross party lines,” said Scott. He said the state would create a program called the “violent threat restraining order,” which would prohibit a mentally ill person from buying a weapon when law enforcement or a family member provides evidence to the court of a threat of violence involving any weapons. “Government does not have to be slow or lethargic,” he said. “When it comes to protecting our kids we need to be swift and decisive.” Scott, who is strongly considering a run for Senate, had received criticism in the wake of the shooting after he declined to initially address gun control measures, and failed to appear at the Wednesday’s CNN town hall with survivors of the shooting. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, who had given him an A+ rating for his pro-gun stances, and noted in in 2014 that he had signed “more pro-gun bills into law — in one term — than any other Governor in Florida history.” The NRA did not immediately respond to request for comment.