Newtown was a tragedy. A horrific act that should never happen in a civilized society. It is also clear that it will likely incite some kind of response to try an prevent it from happening again.
My *fear*is that people will try and prevent “another Newton” and fail to address the larger problems we face.
Here’s a statistic to consider: By as of today, 53 minors were killed in the city of Chicago this year, 49 of them by guns. That’s more than twice the number as were killed in Newtown. The youngest gunshot victim in Chicago this year was 6 years old. She was killed while playing on the porch of he house by a bullet intended for an unrelated gang member.
Where is the national response to those 49 deaths?
Newtown appears to be perpetrated by a mentally ill suburban youth using his parent’s legally owned gun. If we simply prevent “another Newton”, how much will that help stop another 50 kids from being killed in Chicago next year? How many of the people who shot children in Chicago own their guns legally? How much on an impact will regulating guns have on entrenched gangs that flaunt the law on principle?
I don’t know the answers. This problem is bigger than me. I just know that the problem of gun violence is unlikely to be solved by focusing on edge cases on not on your typical gun related death.
