Sunday's letters


Minimum wage too low

I was disappointed to read a letter writer's musings on the president's proposal to raise the U.S. minimum wage. He repeats outdated arguments that have long since been disproved by economists in various countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Higher minimum-wage levels show no negative effect on employment and have no discernible impact on employment levels.

The writer might also benefit by doing some basic research on the minimum wage. He might begin by asking why is it that the U.S. minimum-wage rate ranks close to the lowest across the OECD group of the world's richest countries?

Why is it that Canada, with average minimum-wage rates that exceed $10 per hour, outperforms the U.S. in economic growth? More specifically, he might ask why a McDonald's employee in Ontario will start at a minimum of $10.25 per hour, while his or her counterpart in Florida must make do with nearly $2.50 an hour less.

More fundamentally, why does the writer and, for that matter, House Speaker John Boehner, insist that U.S. minimum-wage rates remain at the bottom among the world's richest countries? Simply stated, a higher minimum-wage rate will help reduce poverty, raise the spending power of the most disadvantaged and allow more Americans, including the writer's family and neighbors, a step up. The president's initiative should be applauded as a step forward.

Charles La Salle


Why boost a gun store?

As a longtime reader and supporter of the Herald-Tribune, I was deeply offended by the extensive coverage (advertisement) of a gun megastore opening in Tampa.

Is our national gun mania so pervasive that the opening of a store devoted to firearms deserves front-page coverage?

Two innocent bystanders shot by police in Los Angeles, two men shot at a gun range and movies that celebrate the use of military weapons should be enough to discourage the Herald-Tribune from giving prominence to this enterprise.

Joseph Silverstein


Right to bear arms basic

In response to the writer of the letter "Repeal Second Amendment": The Second Amendment was not crafted with the intent of creating the right to bear arms, for this right already existed. The Second Amendment, with its words "shall not be infringed," was written to protect the citizens of the United States from having their arms taken from them by those who share the same beliefs that the letter writer does.

I fail to see where he gets the idea that the Second Amendment will be repealed at any time in the near future. If anything, the idea that there exists a fundamental right to keep and bear arms has only been reinforced in the past few years by the Supreme Court decisions in McDonald v. Chicago and D.C. v. Heller. Furthermore, the rise in National Rifle Association membership indicates that the American people feel the same.

To be clear: I believe in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, tough penalties for possessing an illegal firearm, and thorough background checks in order to own a weapon. Despite that, I believe that the Second Amendment is essential to the preservation of liberty and that the right to own a firearm (legally), whether it be for sport, hunting or peace of mind, should not be meddled with.

Tucker Atkins


Mourning bookstores

As a writer and reader I mourn the demise of bookstores. First independent stores began disappearing, then Borders. Now Barnes & Noble is retrenching.

Will this make way for new chains and indies, or is it the beginning of the end for bricks-and-mortar stores? I fervently hope not.

Some indies have weathered the upheavals. My son owns The Royal Oak Bookshop in Virginia, complete with framed author pictures and a famous bookstore cat, Willa Catter.

Books as products may not be the stuff of fortunes, but I hope they and the stores with shelves of them will long remain in the world.

Brenda Seabrooke


The devil and politicians

" ... So God made a farmer."

That is what Paul Harvey said in front of future farmers, and I (as a farmer) truly believe it. But what would he say if he was speaking in front of Congress or a state legislature? It would probably go like this:

So on the ninth day the devil looked up and said, how do I destroy God's planned Paradise? I need a person with no morals, so the devil made a politician.

I need somebody with his hand out and a "what have you done for me lately" attitude, so the devil made a politician.

I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a lobbyist, eating great meals and drinking fine wines, so the devil made a politician.

I need somebody who can look you in the eye and with a straight face outright lie to you, so the devil made a politician.

I need somebody who can send your sons and daughters off to war without thinking of the consequences, and then go home and sleep at night, so the devil made a politician.

I need someone who can tax hard work and create fees and obstacles, so the lazy or unwilling can live a good life, so the devil made a politician.

But, thankfully, God not only made the farmer. He also made the teacher, soldier, carpenter, mason, fireman and all the other hard- working good people to keep the devil and his minions in check.

Tom O'Brien


This story appeared in print on page A20


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