Editor, Gazette-Journal:

When I heard about the 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate exploding in Beirut, I asked how such a thing could happen. Upon further investigation, it turns out the chemical was improperly stored in a location for six years! That would never have been allowed to occur in this country. We have laws and regulations that prohibit chemical storage in that amount or location. We have safeguards in place.

When I ponder about things that we have in this country to protect us, I find there are a lot. I appreciate all of them. We have a police department, a fire department, emergency services. All to protect us. I also am grateful to have inspectors for restaurants, food service facilities, meat packing plants, and on and on. These are all in place because somewhere along the line we as a people decided that these protections were necessary, no matter your socioeconomic status.

We have inspections of workplaces to protect employees from dangerous conditions and comp...