In response to J. Roberts’ letter (News-Times, Feb. 16) about the shooting at the night club.

Thank you so much for clarifying for me the word “mishap.” While I have experienced the usual, mundane mishap of tripping on my front steps or perhaps running over a nail, I can now add shooting someone as simply a mishap!

And again, thank you for reminding me that people are people, who simply make bad choices. In this case, shooting someone! This has truly enlightened me, for I had understood that a bad choice was perhaps purchasing the wrong type of socks, or super sizing my McDonald’s meal, but now I can broaden the definition of bad choice to include shooting someone!

So therefore, we should all say tisk, tisk, to the young man who forgot to leave his gun at home while he went partying in Oak Harbor. I wonder, did he say “Gee, how did that get there?” when he discovered it, or think to himself, “Don’t want a perfectly good bullet to go to waste!”

So let us all simply slap him on the hand and remember after all, that these types of things happen all the time in Seattle and New York City and yes, now even in stagnant Oak Harbor, because after all, people are people who make bad choices.

Perhaps Dr. Seuss can better shed some light on this:

People are people

No matter how small,

Some like to party

While none do at all.

People are people

No matter how dumb,

Who bring guns with them

When drinking their rum!

People are people

Who aren’t very bright,

Especially when drinking

And staying up through the night.

But people are people

Some stupid so it seems,

No matter what mishap may befall them,

Don’t hurt their self esteem.

K. Hall

Oak Harbor