Slow on the draw [comics journalism letter]
Arthur L. Kellermann, Richmond
The July 30 illustrated news article, "Lawmaker blocked gun violence research, then came to regret it," about former congressman Jay Dickey (R-Ark.) apologizing for the Dickey Amendment, essentially reprised reporting The Post published in 2015. Readers would be better served by learning what Congress is doing regarding gun violence now.
On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act on a party-line vote. The bill would slash the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by $1.7 billion, eliminating funding for a wide range of health promotion and disease prevention programs, in addition to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The committee says one of its goals is "focusing the CDC on communicable diseases rather than social engineering," and the legislation includes an amendment from Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia gun store owner, titled "Preventing anti-gun activism by the CDC and NIH."
Twenty-eight years after the Dickey Amendment became law, history could repeat itself, with even more damaging effects. That's a story worth covering.
Arthur L. Kellermann, Richmond
The writer was lead author of the 1993 New England Journal of Medicine study "Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home," which was cited in the article and funded by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Actual attaboy from the ranger: 'You do like punching people for nature' [Mark Trail letter]
Stephen Marschall, Burke
When I started following the comic strip "Mark Trail," the main character was more like a human being than the current manifestation. He was logical and tried his best to be kind while solving ecological problems. However, the Mark Trail I see today is crude and prone to violence. He is proud of his "two fists of justice" and uses them to resolve whatever problem confronts him.
An "adventure" from July involved people dumping electronic equipment in the woods. A ranger confesses to Mark Trial that he was afraid to confront the bad guys lest he be harmed in the process, but Mark Trail has no problem teaching the offenders a lesson with his fists. The lesson here is that it's perfectly okay for a private citizen to employ violence if local law enforcement can't resolve the problem.
How did a great naturalist become a reckless renegade who takes the law into his own hands (or, rather, fists) to rid the planet of bad guys? This is not a role model for anyone.
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