Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
I could not help but notice that the first thing the mayor of New York City and the Governor of  New York State said after the terrorist attack in NYC.
It was to blame gun ownership by we the people.  I guess they didn’t notice or didn’t think it was important that the weapon of choice for this murderer was a large truck and the ‘gun’ he was waving around afterwards was not real.  I think he was hoping someone would shoot him so that he could get his 72 virgins sooner and would not have to deal with the authorities.  I have not heard what happened to those children on the school bus that this murdering you know what broadsided with a truck.  I will not soon forget the response of the driver — he was horrified.  I pray those kids survived but I am sure they will be traumatized for a long time. 
Mr. Mayor and Governor, we the people, the ones who do not go around committing crimes or hurting people, are not the problem — in this crime or any other.  Neither are guns — I only wish that they were — think how easy it would be to solve.  But to remove guns from the people only makes us more vulnerable to monsters like this one.  I do not blame the religion. I blame the people who encourage this sort of thing and the ones that obey the call.
I have noticed that people like you two and a lot of other professional politicians do not believe this law should apply to them — and none of these decision makers, national or state seem to think the fact that they have armed armies — how many cars to you see following these people (Washington, D.C.) when they go anywhere —  is just fine.  When was the last time you heard of one of them being attacked in their car or home — and I have not forgotten Mr. Scalise)?  If we have to lose our guns, so must they.  Same applies to wealthy people.  You cannot pass a law and apply it to only one group of people.  I truly believe in and recommend term limits for one; that when the ‘establishment (politicians) passes a law it must also apply to them. 
That includes when our governors (like Gov. Brown) decide our prisons are too full and release inmates of which a proportion must also be released into their neighborhoods.  In other words, I for one am getting tired of politicians exempting themselves from certain laws — maybe not by order but in reality.  When have you heard of any prisoner paroled into wealthy neighborhoods?  No, they release them into our neighborhoods and at the same time, many politicians can say with a straight face that guns should be outlawed.  I am sure there would be a clause that under ‘certain circumstances (many of which would apply only to those groups mentioned above) a gun could be kept.  If that is so, it would also apply to them in the same way that it applies to us.
Of course, the chances of this happening are slim to none — so the other suggestion is term limits. The power was originally supposed to be in our hands not theirs. The longer a politician is in power, the more power he/she gathers to themselves and it seems in my long life, that this is happening over and over and it is obvious that they are more and more powerful and chair the powerful committees — they become addicted to it. It is time for new leadership just because we need to disperse the power a little more — some new laws especially one that makes them obey the same laws we do, deal with the same health insurance we do, etc.

Marie Evans
Manteca