It is obvious that the shooting in Newtown has lifted the issue of violence to a new level. I was among those whose first reaction to the news of the shooting was that we have to do something about guns. But I am pleased that the President has not made any statement about what we need to do. He has indicated that we as a people need to do something different. We should not tolerate having this kind of tragedy every year. We have to do something different, but he has not said what that should be. He has said we need to talk about it.
We need to talk about it because there are so many factors which are a part of these events. There is the mental health issue. How do we reach and treat those people who are different from the rest of us. The loner, the bullied, the gifted but different, those who do not have all of the talents and gifts of the main stream? Certainly that is a major part of these stories.
What part do all the violence and killing on T.V, movies, comics, video games play in the development of these events? Do these games give ideas to these people as they live out their pain and isolation? Do these movies and games prepare the person to know about body armor, about weapons, about how to get the most damage from the least effort. (I would have never even imagined using what they use to kill cattle in slaughter houses as a weapon until I saw the movie "No Country for Old Men.") Is there something we need to do about the amount of violence we pour into the culture?
Morgan Freeman has complained about the amount of publicity that we give these shooters. That part of what they seek is the recognition and fame that comes from the actions. They may have been ignored, pushed aside, bullied, but "look at me now. Now you won't forget me or ignore me. You will remember my name now." And the power and satisfaction that comes from the national attention. So maybe we should not give these events as much publicity as we do?
And of course, there is the whole gun issue. I think that we all recognize that we are not going to eliminate guns from our country. There is a second amendment in our constitution. But the right to bear arms does not necessarily, it seems to me, mean that we are entitled to every kind of gun there is available. We regulate the kind of drugs that are available. We regulate the kind of beer and alcohol that is made. Can we not regulate the kind of weapons that the public citizen can own? Can we not develop a national registration of weapons and background checks for all owners? The weapons used at Newtown were all legal and properly registered? What about automatic weapons? Could we not limit how many shots a weapon can fire in a certain time? Just some ideas. Australia and Great Britain have instituted gun limitations we need to talk with them about what they did.
I hope that any legislature introduced now is the product of this kind of discussion that may have been had after the previous events. But I hope that this Newtown tragedy does give us the energy and the determination to press to a conclusion and to make some significant changes. The old argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people is a pretty empty argument. How many people would have died in Newtown if Adam had had to use an axe? or his hands, or a knife? Sure he may have gotten a couple but the size of the tragedy would have been much smaller. If we are serious about being a nation of Love and Justice, we need to make some changes.
