No words can adequately describe the Connecticut shootings. What to do? Sadly, too often no pound of cure exists to undo that causative ounce of prevention.
As of 2009, the number of firearms in the United States: 310 million.
In the U.S., roughly 15,000 murders a year are committed with firearms. Britain, Australia and Canada combined see fewer than 350 each year.
An American youth is murdered with a firearm about every 4 1/2 hours. One commits suicide with a firearm every eight hours. Many mass murders of recent years were really suicides, but took others with them.
Gun availability and failures of our mental health systems? Serious discourse about either seems impossible.
What can be effectively done? Opinions vary.
More laws might or might not help. Existing ones are already circumvented. Should we try? Americans must decide if, what and how. No better time than now to act.
- Gordon Wilder, Highland
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