The media rhetoric on the killing of Sikhs in the Oak Creek gurdwara — educating the public about the differences in the turban style of Sikhs and Muslims as though the killings were only a case of mistaken identity — is seriously misguided (“Sharing the same difference,” Aug. 13). Hate crimes and guns need to be curbed. The killing of innocent Muslims is as tragic as the killing of innocent Sikhs.
Those opposed to tough gun control laws often point to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which provides an individual the right to carry firearms. However, their easy availability enables a few madmen with radical views to threaten the sanctity of the First Amendment, which provides an individual freedom to practise any religion or not. If the government can ban firearms on planes to keep them safe, why can’t it do the same on land?
Varad Seshadri,
Sunnyvale
The Oak Creek gurdwara tragedy puts a question mark on the security of people living abroad. Despite the Sikhs voicing their security concerns repeatedly, the U.S. administration failed to prevent the attack at Wisconsin. On another plane, the incident points to the growing resentment of locals who see foreigners as “job snatchers.”
Pankaj Sharma,
Rohtak
