Long before the latest mass shooting killed at least 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, and seriously injured about 50 more, there had already been far too many senseless mass killings in the United States.
Each time a terrible slaughter like the one on Sunday unfolds, shocked citizens are left to ponder why it happened, and how it could have been prevented.
Yet the most obvious conclusion – that there must be greater gun control in the United States – continues to elude the body politic of the U.S.
The shooting at the Pulse nightclub has been viewed by some as an Islamic jihad on America.
Yet the killer was born in the U.S. and it is less than clear what ideologies he espoused. His beliefs are better summed up as ravings of an unstable mind rather than a blueprint for terror.
In the end, it’s less about that mind and more about the continuing attitude toward guns in the U.S. that allows thoughts to turn to deadly action so readily.
As the UN Human Rights chief asked this week, why should any civilian be able to acquire an assault rifle?
But gun culture in the U.S. has a sadly tenacious grip.
The mother of a six-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings wrote to the Orlando families this week, saying she was sorry that her tragedy had not succeeded in preventing theirs.
Obama had it right when he told the nation it is time to stop talking tough and start acting tough – by making it harder for those who would harm others to get the weapons to act.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
