Boy, am I glad we now have easy access to guns here on Vashon. A landlord I know went to talk with a problem tenant and wound up staring down the barrel of the tenant’s gun. Fortunately, the tenant did not pull the trigger. If only my friend had had a gun drawn and ready.

Let’s get real, people. Vashon is a terrifying, dangerous place. We need to be fully armed and ready at all times. A “kill or be killed” mentality should replace those naïve “Keep Vashon Weird” bumper stickers.

I’m hoping we can adopt the same open carry laws here that Texans now enjoy. You just never know when a terrorist might be roaming the aisles of Thriftway or one of the many other dangerous neighborhoods here. The outdoor summer concerts feel especially dangerous and scary. It would be great if we could pack our Glocks right in the picnic basket alongside the hot dogs and potato salad.

More than a quarter million gun deaths in this country in the past 10 years is ample evidence that guns make us safer. I wish all those naysayers would pack up their yoga mats, move to a hippie commune and leave us alone so we can protect our community.

— Shannon Mahan