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I've tried to write this post all day, but the words won't come easily. The body count keeps rising -- three more dead in Newark, New Jersey. Twenty murders in two weeks in Chicago. In communities across the country, gun violence exacts a horrific toll. Bloggers are among those demanding action, but there's precious little agreement on the real essence of the problem, much less the solutions.
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Robyn Ringler is outraged over the barbaric shootings of four college students in Newark this past weekend:
"[T]hese kids from Newark worked hard. They were never in trouble. They got good grades. They worked hard at jobs to earn money for college and when the money wasn’t enough, they took on more jobs. They earned scholarships, went to college, again got good grades, were loved by their peers, teachers, families and their school and home "communities.
"Where is their economic prosperity? Where are their good lives? Where is their future?
"Why don’t our leaders—the best and the brightest—implement a solution to the problem of rampant gun violence in our communities?
"Why didn’t President George W. Bush make a statement saying how horrible these killings were like he did after Virginia Tech? Why didn’t he visit the site? Why doesn’t he speak at the funerals?
"Why do we the people tolerate such a lack of help in this matter? We know legislation works. We know stopping illegal guns at the source works. We know tough criminal penalties for illegal gun possession and crimes committed with guns work. We know involving communities in solutions works."
The Gun Guys blame the National Rifle Association and its Congressional allies:
"As for the Newark shootings, it once again makes us aware that guns don’t discriminate. They kill white students, black students, Hispanic students and students of other backgrounds with equal indifference.
"To the NRA and the profiteering gun industry, these young people are just “collateral damage,” a momentary distraction from the monetary gain and emotional extremism of the gun lobby.
"To us, they are the lost opportunity of America’s future, sons and daughters of loyal Americans who are victims of a gun culture that has infected the Republic."
The Rev. Jesse Jackson agrees. In June, he and another clergyman were arrested for picketing an Illinois gun in order to press for stricter gun laws. He goes to trial Nov. 26 and could face several months in jail.
The NRA' counters that new laws are unnecessary, because politicians fail to enforce the gun laws we have.
IMuch of the relevant data are lacking. The national >violent death reporting system is only a few years old. The New Jersey state legislature recently passed a bill that forbids bulk handgun purchases.
Whatever the policy perspective, one thing is clear, as Lasha points out:
"The crime rate in Newark NJ is rising as we speak..We as a community need to come together. This is only going to get worse as time goes on."
