Our family had a revealing Christmas Eve experience.

Leaving a movie, we found this note attached to our car: “NRA too a--hole GOP=NRA=Murderer.” How nice, an anonymous stranger spreading good cheer in Chapel Hill.

I was puzzled why we’d been singled out, then I realized we had one small “Mitt” sticker on our bumper (but no NRA emblem). Ah yes, liberal, tolerant, open-minded Chapel Hill.

I know many of you here in Chapel Hill are gun and NRA “haters” and you’re rolling your eyes and shutting down your brains at this point, but bear with me for a moment. Instead of acting like our anonymous idiot, ratchet down your hatred of guns and the NRA and think for a few moments.

Imagine you’re dropping your child at school and see a wild-eyed gunman shooting at kids. Answer truthfully to yourselves: do you want to be unarmed and watch your child die or do you want to protect your child and others with the most effective means available, perhaps a handgun at your side?

Now imagine it isn’t just one evil guy in Connecticut, but instead it is al-Qaeda gunmen at dozens of schools across the country, bent on killing a hundred kids at every school. Answer truthfully to yourselves: Do you want thousands of dead children or do you want armed and trained teachers fighting back should the unthinkable ever occur? Unlikely events? Certainly – but given 9/11, not as preposterous as you might think.

I know you think more guns means more deaths, but you are misinformed. Crime stats over recent decades show that even with increasing gun ownership and concealed carry, gun-related crimes continue their decline. Instead of mindless, emotional raging whenever you see stories about guns and the NRA, think for yourselves about freedom and what the Bill of Rights is really all about. It’s about freedoms we all are born with, not “given” to us by The State. For once, don’t be the cowardly idiot with his stupid note.

Dale Hodson

Chapel Hill

2nd misconception

Nathaniel Goetz’s letter (CHN, Dec. 30) was articulate and moving. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to correct a misconception about the Second Amendment it contained that is all too common.

The Second Amendment is the only amendment to start with a statement of purpose. Thus it is inexcusable for Goetz to say as he does that the purpose is to give the right “to us as citizens to defend against tyranny of government.” On the contrary, the purpose as stated is to provide for the security of the government by ensuring a ready supply of armed citizens for the militia.

Michael P. Smith

Chapel Hill

Chinese omission

How could you leave out of the News of 2012 recap that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools administration tried to eliminate the Mandarin DL program at Glenwood Elementary School, McDougle Middle School and Chapel Hill High School?

The administration proposal for elimination was handed out in March of 2012 and with protest from the parents and many others outside the program who know the value of it, the school board voted against the administration to keep the program on June 7 with this:

“Be it, therefore, resolved that the Board of Education reaffirms its commitment to the Chinese Dual Language program with one track at Glenwood next year [2012-2013] and directs administration to develop plans for the long-term success of the program with the continued work on the Board priority around second language instruction."

Now parents and other Friends of the Mandarin DL program are asking to have the program expanded as part of the redistricting process that is currently under way. Expansion has been supported verbally by the board for years, and the administration continues to drag its feet. NOW is the time – teachers are available, parents are organized, and a new Dual Language coordinator is in place. Expansion is crucial to the “long-term success” of the program for many reasons, including cost, teacher retention and overall outreach of the program. The administration wants to wait until “long-term plans” are made. There is no reason that long term plans can’t be made while a second kindergarten class is in place.

In addition, it is very important to move the middle school program to Smith Middle school to dramatically improve the retention of the Mandarin-speaking families in the program, as they are districted for this school. It is also not clear if the administration will move forward with this, as was discussed in the past, as recently as spring 2012.

These two important steps will drastically improve the “long-term success” of the program as it will restore the trust of the parents, teachers and staff that the program will be here for the long-term.

Susan Swafford

Mandarin Advisory Committee co-chair

In the dark

On Jan. 1, a shooting was reported in Chapel Hill, outside Time Out Restaurant on Franklin Street. While the shooting occurred close to the student residential community of Granville Towers, students were not notified until 16 hours after the incident.

Although students are on winter break, Granville Towers is open to residents and is also student staffed during break.

With 2012 marked by murder, rape, death, assault and shootings, our university needs to re-evaluate the meaning of “a threat to our community.” Every student threatened is a direct threat to our community, and the university must recognize this. We cannot continue to grieve and fear solely in silence, anxiously waiting with no direction from our university.

UNC students are questioning their safety, and the lack of transparency and timely notification around campus and community incidents is contributing to a general culture of fear and hostility.

In 2013, students demand more honesty from our university, and stronger action toward enforcing student safety.

Andrea Pino

Chapel Hill