A year ago, a completely mentally unbalanced man murdered 20 children and six adults in cold blood at Sandy Hook, an elementary school in Newton, Connecticut. His mother was an enthusiastic and irresponsible gun collector.
That day, I could not help but write a short entry on my blog with my thoughts on the matter entitled Murdering hope at Sandy Hook. As a parent of three young and three older children, I simply could not forget that tragic event. This massacre was second only to the bloodbath that occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007.
A few days after this unthinkable event, almost all the politicians in the United States expressed their outrage. Some wept in public and others simply maintained a silence that was convenient to the arms industry. At that time, many of us believed that we had had enough and it was time to open an intense debate concerning the uncontrolled arms trade worldwide. The U.S. president went to Newton and vowed to take energetic measures. Many of us expected a change, yet what has happened? Almost nothing.
Connecticut became the third state to tighten its laws on firearms. Indeed, over 100 types of weapons were banned, a limit was placed on the purchase of ammunition and clips and magazines, and those seeking to buy guns must now have a mental health certificate. Even so, I find it amazing that even in Connecticut there are stricter requirements to drive a car than to shoot a gun.
On August 29, President Obama proposed two executive branch bills to control the sale of guns, which -- to no one's surprise -- failed in Congress.
In contrast, what did occur is that in October demolition of the Sandy Hook elementary school began. This is no way to resolve the problem, just to forget about it, although eventually another school will be built in its place.
According to data published by The Huffington Post, in the past seven years, 934 people have been killed in shootings of this kind in the United States, and according to Bloomberg, by 2015 deaths from gunshot wounds will exceed those caused by automobile accidents, even with the significant increase in such deaths caused by "driving while texting." In fact, in 10 states, this is already the case.
I have already argued that the uncontrolled arms trade in the United States is a terrible problem that not only harms that country. For example, in Mexico, organized crime fuels its arsenal in weapon depots located near the border and its violence extends to Central America. Meanwhile, no politician, not even the president of the United States, dares to challenge the powerful National Rifle Association. This is a disastrous situation that affects millions of people throughout the hemisphere. A year after the massacre at Sandy Hook, my thoughts are with the children and their families.