To the editor:
I was happy to read your editorial that discussed the recent shooting of a young black man in Madison.
A major part of the piece is the subject of the letter written by a group of 90 religious leaders in the Madison area.
I had to go elsewhere online to read the full letter and to see the list of people who signed this call for action. However, I was saddened by the fact that none of the signers were Catholic priests, nor was Bishop Morlino a signer.
We’ve all heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This saying was meant to convey the idea that people cannot really hurt you by what they say, only by what they do physically.
As we reflect this week on the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that killed six people and wounded 14 others, we realize that both parts of that saying are true. Physical violence, of course, does cause harm. But words can also hurt people and perhaps lead to physical violence.
We don’t know the full story behind why the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, decided to shoot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords while she was meeting with some of her constituents outside a supermarket in Tucson.
