So disappointing to read last week’s letters by Bob Scarpetti, Steve Killingsworth and Rich Rutkowski.

Steve (a member of the party of law and order) defended Sheriff Joe. He assured us that Arpaio did nothing illegal. The fact is, he did and was legally convicted. Arpaio was extremely cruel during his tenure and cost taxpayers millions of dollars to defend him, yet Steve calls Arpaio a patriot who’ll make America strong again and who’ll actually enforce the laws. Whose laws? The laws of the land or the laws as the sheriff determines?

Rich said that we Democrats don’t rely on facts but on the ideology of the Democratic Party. Talk about the pot and the kettle. Many Republicans spout the identical talking points put out by Fox and Trump and, even when proven to have no basis in fact, which is often, they’re constantly repeated. After all, Trump is the master at selling “alternative facts.”

Bob unfairly attacked Ginny Dickey as anti-police for participating in a demonstration against the spectacle put on at the Four Peaks school under the guise of police training. The presence of the press indicated this was just Sheriff Joe flaunting his militaristic might – the stuff of dictators – not appropriate in a Democratic society. Ginny supports police, not photo-ops.

If anyone really wanted to protect children from a “deranged gunman” they wouldn’t cut funds for mental health treatment or gun research. They surely wouldn’t remove restrictions on the mentally ill purchasing guns – all things Trump and Republicans have done.

Militaristic posturing doesn’t keep children safe. Keeping guns out of the hands of those with anger or mental health issues just might, as well as outlawing semi-automatics and bump-stocks. Plus, securing your guns from children should be a requirement with consequences.