How many tragic deaths have to occur before politicians take
action on gun violence in society?
In a recent Globe and Mail article (Jan. 9, 2013) it has been reported that
the United States suffers far more violent deaths than any other wealthy nation
due its widespread possession of firearms and the practice of storing them at
home in a place that is often unlocked.
Americans have a culture that considers arms ownership a basic
right (Second Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution) and many insist that law- abiding citizens should not be
forced to give up guns. Sadly, The National Rifle Associations (NRA) response
to the Connecticut tragedy was to place ‘armed guards’ at schools instead of
banning any guns. Adam Lanza, who committed the worst school massacre in U.S.
history, did so with his mother’s arsenal – guns she introduced to him in order
to teach a sense of responsibility and independence. Being a Canadian I do not understand why these important
life lessons cannot be taught another way.
If the Obama administration does not take action against the
ownership of assault weapons they will be sending the wrong message to youth
that the ‘right to bear arms’ without restrictions and giving in to the gun
lobby is more important than protecting society from these lethal weapons. Take a minute and imagine how you would
feel if you lost a child to the senseless violence in Newtown.
I definitely understand your frustration - seeing this issue brought to light from a Canadian perspective really is difficult to understand. I wholeheartedly agree with you - the United States needs to figure out a way to restrict guns from falling into the wrong hands while still remaining true to the 2nd Amendment. This compromise will not be easy by any means as groups such as the NRA really do have an incredibly powerful voice in Congress!
ReplyDeleteThe Connecticut School Shooting undoubtably presents the need for harsher gun reform. A need that had already been present, but is only further verified through this tragic event. I also took note that this event is thought to be due to violent video games playing a factor in the emotional stability of the perpetrator. Perhaps, this event suggests a need for further study on the effects of such widely accessible violence in the media!
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