LETTER: Students shamelessly used by political left

I am disappointed to see so many students shamelessly used by the political left.

One student pictured ("Port Angeles High School students plan walkout," PDN, March 7), identified as Emily Menshew, holds a sign that reads, "Look me in the eyes and tell me your guns are more important than my life!"

The fact of the matter is that my guns have nothing whatsoever to do with Emily's life, except if one day it came to pass that my gun and I prevent some miscreant from harming her.

More importantly, the lives with which my guns are intimately connected are mine and my family's.

My gun is an effective tool to defend those lives and this is a responsibility I take very seriously.

So yes indeed, my guns are of paramount importance to me.

If Emily really wanted to improve school safety she would lobby against the dangerous [Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Interventions, Support & Education] PROMISE Program.

The federally funded PROMISE Program gives generous sums of tax dollars in the form of grants to schools in return for schools not prosecuting student criminal behavior, in order to "safeguard the student from entering the judicial system," according to the Broward County School System where this is in place ( https://www.browardprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PROMISE-MANUAL-08.16.13.pdf ).

As a result, students who commit infractions have no criminal record to flag in a background check and are able to circumvent the "common sense" gun laws that are already in place, as was the case in the horrific slaughter in Parkland, Fla., according to media reports.

Susan Hildebrand,

Port Angeles