Before Holthouse writes off Arizona's CCW course as woefully inadequate, he might be interested in knowing that of the 43 states that issue some form of CCW permit, Arizona is one of the few that requires any marksmanship or classroom training at all. I take some comfort in that, especially if we're going to let Holthouse carry a gun.
Joe Carter
Phoenix
Easy Rider
As a relatively new resident to Phoenix, I am seriously and surprisingly impressed with the positive attitude and forward thinking of the population of Phoenix as far as the Transit 2000 transit issue ("Traffic Thicket," Laura Laughlin, March 9). In many ways, the response was impressive and even, well, damned sophisticated.
As an ex-Southern Californian, I had witnessed many decades of residents' slow, drag-foot response to transit issues until they had to vote in their light-rail system, which incidentally became hugely successful.
When the light rails become operative in another decade, the doubled population of Phoenix will be ready, and this nation's sixth-largest city will undoubtedly have become this nation's fourth-largest city.
When you see some old fool on the train in 10 years carrying a sign "I told you so!" it will be me.
And we'll be flying by the naysayers stuck in gridlock, all blindly led by the Arizona Republic's "Opinions" darling, Roy Miller, a member of the so-called free-market Goldwater Institute Phoenix think tank (an oxymoron if there ever was one). May this Grand Butt-Plugger roll up a steel train rail and stick it where the sun don't shine.
Robert H. Stone
Phoenix
