There was a great story on Stockton Forward's meeting in the Dec. 14 Record, "Strategy triggers spirited debate."

We are all shocked, saddened, and stunned by the news from Newtown, Conn. As in any senseless tragedy, we are quick to try to find answers. I am gravely concerned that in the wake of the horrendous tragedy, we will jump to conclusions about Asperger's disorder in our search to try to understand what happened.

Misinformation has been broadcast on national news about autism/Asperger's by some well-meaning correspondents. They are classifying Asperger's as a mental illness, such as a personality disorder. Asperger's is NOT a mental illness nor a personality disorder, but is a developmental disorder classified as high-functioning autism.

It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and is a lifelong condition, such as a learning disorder, motor skills disorder, or communication (speech) disorder. People with these disorders are NOT mentally ill.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN, stated that there is NO evidence of a link between autism and planned violent behavior. Autism education is relatively new.

People with Asperger's usually have two distinguishing characteristics: challenges in social interaction and the tendency to engage in repetitive behavior. Social skills training and early intervention are very recent therapies for Asperger's. People with this disorder face so much public misunderstanding as it is. We need to be careful not to prejudice others toward the brave, bright youngsters who struggle to deal with this different way of thinking.

Kelleen Yocum

Madmen are not unique to the United States. On Dec. 14, one attacked an elementary school in China. Around 20 children were injured; no one died. He used a knife.

What is unique about us is the prevalence of guns. Here we are, first among developed nations. We have more deaths from gunshot wounds every day than any nation not at war. Think of the cost to our families, to our neighborhoods, to our nation, to maintain our frontier mind-set. Guns do kill people — every day.

Peggy Traverso

Here is something Mayor-elect Anthony Silva can do with his city salary that will have an immediate positive effect in our community: fund a gun buyback program like the one in Oakland.

The Oakland program pays $200 cash for any gun, no questions asked. In one day recently, 600 guns were turned in. Such a program gets cheap guns off the streets and puts cash into the local economy. Win-win.

William Maxwell

NOTE: Stockton does not have an ongoing gun buyback program. The city has held gun buyback events in recent years, but nothing new is planned.

The city of Stockton has an intriguing and mysterious personality.

She is hard to understand yet is beautiful and attractive. The lady can sometimes be a tramp. She plays hard to get but has a wide and diversified circle of friends and family. She can be fickle and dangerous, reserved with high-society-like sophistication, only to disappoint and embarrass herself by spending more than she earns.

She needs an agent, an adviser who recognizes her potential, producers and directors who are professional and on the same level and status as this gorgeous lady.

She is visited and courted daily by foreign ships. The Port of Stockton is at the heart of her attributes.

With international commerce pertaining to imports and exports centered around Stockton's port, how can this lady be broke?

Dale McGlothian