The Japan Times' decision to run the picture of the U.S. gunman with the July 22 front-page story about the movie theater attack was regrettable. It rewarded him for murder, giving the gun nut exactly what he wanted.
I remember that after John Lennon was killed in New York (Dec. 8, 1980), there was a word-of-mouth campaign not to say the name of the killer. Unfortunately, The Japan Times' "news without fear or favor" favored the criminal.
Thank God for free speech, guaranteed in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms (as a part of a well-regulated militia), but never mind that.
In the fourth paragraph of the story, we find the buried lead: that the suspect had purchased four weapons from a retail store in the last two months. Any idiot can do it.
When my Japanese friends say they are afraid to visit America, I nod my head and say, me too!
In the interest of freedom of expression, I will not be viewing that so-called action movie or any other entertainment that glorifies violence. Silence is a kind of free speech, too.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.