LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Teacher’s pension funds guns


February 12, 2013 · Updated 2:28 PM 

To the editor:

I am absolutely horrified to find that a portion of my teacher’s retirement funds each month have been from investments in a company that specializes in the production and sales of assault guns. California State Teacher’s Retirement System invested in this company for me and my fellow retirees benefit. I was ignorant about their purchase of the stock.

Numerous mass shootings have occurred with these guns in recent months and now one has been used to slaughter innocent first-grade children and teachers in their school and classrooms. What have my retirement system people been thinking? Are there no limits to our society’s desire to place money and profit above morality and life?

I immediately emailed my retirement system to cease and desist from this incomprehensible investing of funds provided by teachers who actively spend their lives keeping their classes safe and who value the children above and beyond income, caring teachers who pledge their lives to the avoidance of evil’s intrusion in the children’s lives.

Since the value of the assault gun investments will go down, these representative investors will undoubtedly leave the sinking ship. My hopes are that they will be morally sensitive to where these funds are next invested. If your pension is with California State Teacher’s Retirement System, please let them know that you don’t want your monthly income tainted with their lack of sensitivity to the values of the people who contributed these funds.

Ask them to use responsible thinking before they invest.

I feel like I’ve been getting monthly blood money since I got this information. If you get your retirement through that system, write or speak up now before the funds are reinvested.

Beverly B. Casebeer

Coupeville

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