Gun violence could start to deter would-be tourists from visiting the US

Our readers have their say about the latest mass shooting in America, petmatching and children lifting weights

Those who were killed in the recent Texas shooting incident are remembered. Ben Powell / AP Photo

I write to you in reference to the piece Death toll in Texas mass shooting climbs to seven (September 1).

The recent mass shooting in Texas by a white man in his 30s, killing seven people and wounding 21 others, has raised the issue of gun crime once again in the US. Unfortunately, this is not the only incident that has occurred in the US in recent times.

It is high time, therefore, that the Trump administration creates more stringent laws with regard to the issuing of gun licences.

Aside from creating a sense of insecurity within the country, the government must also realise that the spate of gun violence could begin to scare away tourists.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

Pet owners need to be educated before being allowed to keep them

I write to you in reference to the video about Pet matchmaking – could it help solve the problem of abandoned animals? (August 31): the first option to tackle abandoned pets would simply be to not abandon them. Pets are for life, and people need to be educated on how to care for them. Owners should consider allocating budgets for pets, including for their relocation, when they decide to leave the country.

The second option would be to have more trap-neuter-return programmes. The more you neuter, the less stray animals you will have in the long run.

Siobhan Phillips, Dubai

There are experts everywhere – on both sides of divide and in middle

I write to you in reference to Sophie Prideaux's piece Weighty issue: at what age should children start working out? (September 2).

I have no idea as to the veracity of the statement about the myth that weightlifting is bad for children.

But one thing I do know is that there are experts everywhere – on both sides of the divide and right down the middle, too.

Dave Pryce, Abu Dhabi