If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Following a public act of unspeakable horror, like the shootings in Connecticut or Aurora, mental health professionals are asked to explain why or how a person could hurt others so profoundly. And then we are asked how to identify such people and prevent these violent acts.
Ask him to explain why civilians should have assault weapons, and why they should be able to buy them without background checks. Other countries have experienced mass murders with guns and done something about it; what's different about us that we can't, too?
According to Gallup about 5 percent of adults are gun owners who say the NRA always reflects their views. Hardly a dominant electoral bloc.
In the current, intensifying debate about gun control, all valid arguments should be heard. A numbers-based argument is not among them. What matters here is what is being assaulted -- and that was never just a number.
Who wants to visit or invest in or even do business with a country that is violent and chaotic, where the government is in gridlock and the public divided?
With so much support, it would seem that this legislation should sail swiftly through both houses of Congress, and be signed into law by the president. But two powerful forces of human nature stand in the way -- greed and fear.
Stephen Barton is not a household name. He has nevertheless achieved a fair amount of celebrity status this past year, primarily for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
While there is no perfect solution that will eliminate all gun crimes, there are many things we can do to significantly reduce the danger of guns getting into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, as well as restricting the sale of particularly deadly weapons and ammunition.
Given that all attempts to ban military-style firearms have failed miserably, we must look to a new approach. One possibility: stop trying to define illegal firearms. Rather, do the opposite.
With gratitude for the time that has passed, I cannot help but ponder over what is most important as we enter into the New Year, and therefore a new c...
There are different types of gun violence, just like there are different types of diseases. And just like difference types of diseases and illnesses, there are different approaches to reduce gun violence.
Let's not wait for another violent shooting by an unstable or violent person wielding an assault weapon to take and destroy more innocent lives.
What say you, 2012? Along with reviewing the big, important Colorado headlines, Jared and Ron look back fondly at the many ridiculous, overblown, laughable, stupido news stories of the year.
My belief is we need an all of the above approach: tighten background checks, close loopholes in gun shows, improve mental health facilities, ban certain assault weapons and multiple magazines, tone down violence in video games, TV, and movies.
The real difference between the U.S. and UK isn't that they are watching different movies or playing different video games. It's guns. We have close to 300 million guns legally owned while the UK has only approximately 1.8 million guns.
I have wondered for decades why the incident in which my great-uncle was murdered is simply called a "disaster" in the popular media, while more recent events are called "massacres," "mass killings," "killing sprees," "mass murders," "rampage killings" and such.
Most Popular
