LJ Schaffnit: There’s no easy fix to gun violence in this country

To The Daily Sun,

Nineteen young men and women and two adults were murdered in their school. Flags at half-staff, our condolences to the families, our thoughts and prayers are with you — sound familiar? We say and do what is obligatory and all too common, but when are our leaders, and this nation as a whole, going to grow a backbone and do something about it. Enough of the excuses, blaming and finger pointing — action is long overdue.

The debate over guns is extremely contentious and polarizing. There’s no easy fix to gun violence in this country. As gun rights proponents are quick to point out, often mass shootings involve a failed safety net. But it’s nevertheless a fact that the level of gun violence we see is like nothing seen in other wealthy Western nations. Conservatives would like us to believe that more guns available to more people will equate to less violence — we have been witnessing how well that false propaganda has been playing out; internationally, 86% of gun deaths of young adults occur in the United States. We are told that “guns don’t kill people – people kill people.” What they neglect to tell us is that in 68% to 72% (depending on sources) of violent crime murders, that people choose handguns and automatic as their instrument of killing. Evidence has suggested that these weapons are a risk factor that should be considered alongside mental illness, substance abuse and family history.

Recently it has become, for gun proponents, popular to blame mass shootings on mental illness; if this is the case, why do we continue to manufacture and supply these people with the means of destroying innocent lives? Could it be that conservative politicians value the monetary support of the NRA more than the human life being sacrificed?

L.J. Schaffnit

Gilmanton