The United States Senate's failure to pass common sense gun safety measures -- the Manchin-Toomey Amendment to expand background checks to keep guns away from underage or dangerous people, and amendments to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines designed only to kill as many human beings as possible -- is a moral failure of great magnitude. Once again the safety of children has been sacrificed by political leaders in service to the gun lobby. As Americans do we value guns more than the lives of children? Do we really want to continue to have political leaders who kowtow to the threats and money and half-truths of the gun lobby and who think their political jobs are more important than the right of children to live and learn and grow up in safety?

While there are troubling undertones of racial suspicion and fear in Trayvon Martin's killing which must be addressed as justice is sought, the fact is that most Black young people murdered by guns are killed by Black shooters -- just as most White children and teens murdered by guns are killed by White shooters. Sadly the tragedies of Tucson, Aurora, Newtown and elsewhere made clear that none of us are safe anywhere or immune to the pervasive threat of gun violence. We are all in the same boat and must act together to stop the plague of violence. Gun safety laws that only apply in one city or state can't fully stop our national epidemic of gun proliferation and violence any better than we can stop a flu epidemic by vaccinating one family.

If Americans had said no more after Columbine, there may never have been a Virginia Tech. If we had said no more after Aurora, there may never have been a Newtown, and maybe some of the more than 31,000 other American gun deaths that occur each year could have been prevented.

We must urge Congress to act now. President Obama's first 100 days must include gun safety measures. The lives we honor -- and the children we save -- will be our legacy.

Hey there 2013. It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from your predecessor, and I'm sorry I was so out of commission yesterday that I missed your actual first day in the office. I know you've got some big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to see what you're made of.

Mr. President we can do this now if you lead the fight.

Infringing on a constitutional right is no small matter. That means any legislative scheme would have to pass the "compelling interest" test. On the other hand, it also means that if you show a compelling interest, you can curtail some aspects of that right.

I'm calm. I've had time to reflect. The victims have been mourned, and nobody could accuse me of jumping to conclusions. The moment has cooled. The election is over. I've even waited an extra two months to make extra-double sure I wasn't politicizing the tragedy.

It not entirely clear whether tighter gun laws would prevent mass shootings. It is matter we need to weigh. Regardless what decision we make, if we can find a way through this debate to grow into the adults this country needs then the effort will not have been wasted.

Spitzer and Matalin debate whether the GOP can shift on Immigration to avoid political suicide and on guns to reduce homocides. That's up to the Norquist of Guns -- Wayne LaPierre -- to allow NRA-owned electeds to stop the slaughter.