It was three years ago today that Adam Lanza, a mentally disturbed 20-year-old man, stole guns from his mother's house and went to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT where he shot and killed 20 innocent little children and 6 adults.
Sadly there have been numerous other mass shootings since then across the country, several involving schools. The question that is front and center on the news, particularly on this anniversary date, is, what can we do to stop this from ever happening again?
The most common answer, in fact the ONLY answer I've yet heard, is to pass some sort of firearms legislation. Specifically, the prohibition of the manufacture/importation of new assault-style rifles and high capacity magazines.
Suppose for a moment such a law could be passed and signed into law. I hope I'm wrong, but I honestly don't think it would stop many/any new mass shootings. Why? Just as in Adam Lanza's case, existing assault-style guns could still be stolen. (We would never know for sure how many people were NOT killed thanks to such a law....you can't prove a negative.)
But if I'm right, what then? After the next mass shooting, and the next, and the next, what would be the next logical thing we could try to put a stop to the madness? So far, some sort of "gun control" is the only idea I've heard put forward. Is there anything else?
If anyone has any other thoughts/suggestions, I'd like to hear them. (No, there is no way the government is going to go door-to-door and confiscate everyone's guns. The resistance would be extreme and likely violent.) Any ideas? Please be as specific as you can.
S
NOTE: Interesting fact I just heard on da news (not researched for accuracy): 26% of all guns purchased in the US every year are by the military, and 38% are purchased by federal/state/local law enforcement. Together, government purchases from one source or another account for 64% of all sales.
