After the March

Sadly, we have seen too many school massacres. Given our short attention span and the media’s focus on the story of the moment, we soon move on. This time it was different. The main reason was the students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. If I were interviewed on national TV at that age, I doubt I would remember my name. They are smart, poised and articulate young people.

Now that the march is over, the story may fade but likely not disappear. It is time to get to work. We need to remember that the issue is gun violence, not guns themselves. This should never have happened. The shooter had extensive involvement with child welfare, mental health and law enforcement officials yet he was still on the streets. There was a further breakdown when police were ordered to wait outside until he got tired of shooting or ran out of ammunition. Making the system work as it should is far and away the most effective way to prevent future tragedies.

This has already resulted in new legislation. Both Congress and the Florida legislature have passed bills. Further action will likely depend on the gun control boosters. They have generally taken the position that guns are the entire problem. Often they blame legal gun owners, the type of people Hillary Clinton calls deplorable. They offer the same tired proposals that won’t work. Taking two rifles that function identically and banning one because of the way it looks accomplishes nothing. Frankly, I think many are far more interested in gun control as a wedge issue than they are in actually accomplishing something.
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It is time for thoughtful men and women of all ideologies to seriously discuss gun violence. Time will tell whether anything is accomplished besides creating more young Democrats and increasing the cultural divide.
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