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In March 1998, Mitchell Johnson, aged 13, and Andrew Golden, aged 11, killed four girls, a teacher, and injured 10 others at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, AK. Numerous other cases are similar, children killing classmates, teachers or others at school, at play or on neighborhood streets because handgun accessibility is easy, even for them. Firearms, in fact, are the number one weapon of choice for American youths, some not yet teenagers.
According to Shay Bilchic, administrator of the Federal Juvenile Justice Office:
The accessibility of firearms to children shows "the devastating impact (they've) had on the lives and well-being of America's youths." Studies show minors can obtain handguns easily. In fact, 70% of juvenile criminals said they could get them in the District of Columbia where they're illegal and possession almost entirely prohibited. Even though the 1968 Gun Control Act banned firearm sales to minors, children and teenagers easily get them, and in some states, like Arizona, obtaining them legally is almost as simple as buying toothpaste.
A Final Comment
Clearly better gun control laws are needed, but won't be forthcoming even after Tucson, a tragedy America's media will tire of covering and fade, but not gun related homicides across America, mostly out of sight and unreported.
Yet Obama ducked the issue, ignored America's violent culture, absolved right wing extremists, and, besides other scripture, invoked the Book of Job saying:
"Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. (None) of us can know what triggered the attack or what could have been done to prevent it."
In fact, clear explanations exist, and plenty can be done to reduce gun related bloodletting. When used as intended, guns kill, maim or injure. Sympathy, empathy grieving, and invoking scripture won't stop it. It's high time something did, but don't expect it from Washington where politicians are bought like toothpaste.
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