Tragedies and Gun Laws

Two tragic, violent shooting sprees in two days. Even in a country as desensitized to violence as the U.S., the events of this week have been jarring. These tragedies should remind us why gun control laws are important and should be expanded.

First, I want to say that the victims of these horrible crimes -- and their families and communities -- are in my thoughts. I don't mean to dishonor the memories of the victims by turning my attention to gun control. Instead I hope we can take this moment to consider policies that will prevent crimes like these in the future.

You know the detaiils: an Army psychologist allegedly opened fire yesterday at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people and injuring at least 27. It's believed to be the most deadly shooting on an American military base in history. Today in Orlando, a 40-year-old man apparently entered an office building where he used to work and shot six people, killing one of them.

I don't know if their guns were legally or illegally obtained. But these crimes should demonstrate that we should be extremely careful about who has the right to a gun in our society -- and how many guns we sell. I agree with Paul Helmke, the President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who spoke out today about the Fort Hood shootings. He said:

“America has seen an epidemic of horrific gun violence at churches and synagogues, workplaces, health clubs, high schools, universities, police stations and now Army bases.  This latest tragedy, at a heavily fortified army base, ought to convince more Americans to reject the argument that the solution to gun violence is to arm more people with more guns in more places.  Enough is enough.”

He went further, too, arguing that these murders demonstrate why Congress should reject a proposed law that would allow people who are determined to be mentally incapacitated by the VA to own guns.

“In light of what happened yesterday - a violent attack by an emotionally unstable soldier - it is even clearer that the proposal being pushed by Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina should be rejected," Helmke said.

Burr shot back, accusing Helmke of being disrespectful:

"It is a shame that this process has gotten to a point where some feel that they can exploit the senseless murder of American soldiers in the quest to secure personal triumph," Burr said.

Burr's press statements about the bill -- S669 -- indicate that he believes veterans are being denied their Constitutional rights on technicalities. If someone hands their financial matters over to someone else, they may also lose their right to own a gun, Burr says.

I don't know enough about this bill to have an opinion. But my immediate reaction on hearing about these two tragedies is to wonder why we have laws that allow things like concealed weapons and bulk purchases at gun shows. In a society obsessed with guns, violence follows.

Photo by Jason Sansone.