http://www.wickedlocal.com/mansfiel...ER-Shooting-prompts-call-for-tighter-gun-laws
TO THE EDITOR:
As I reflect upon the recent murder “by gun” of Andrew Colwell, I cannot help but wonder how a 19-year-old high school dropout obtained a gun. This question prompted me to do a little bit of Internet research. Gun violence is an epidemic and a national disgrace. The facts speak for themselves.
“Every year in the United States guns kill nearly 30,000 people. We should not have to live in constant fear of our kids dying and being seriously injured in mass shootings like Virginia Tech, the Amish school near Nickel Mines, Pa., or Columbine. However even more disturbing is that, a normal day in America brings the loss of eight young people to shootings that occur on our streets and in our homes — the equivalent of two Columbines every other day.”
What are the U.S. Congress or State legislatures around the country doing about the problem? Almost nothing. Why? Because the National Rifle Association “NRA” and the gun industry use vast sums of money to block passage of sensible gun legislation — laws that are designed to reduce death and injury and create safer communities. The gun lobby claims that it is protecting gun owners’ rights under the Second Amendment. In fact, their efforts lead to the death or injury of thousands of innocent Americans every year as families such as the Colwells of Mansfield continue to pay an unbearable price for our national obsession with guns.
What needs to happen to reverse this ugly trend of gun violence? Protesting and organizing on the grassroots level — state-by-state. We must acknowledge our political impotence on the gun issue and be willing to mount state-by-state campaigns to rally support to save lives.
We are being challenged by the most powerful lobbying group in the U.S., which spends millions of dollars annually on lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. and state legislatures. This is not easy.
I cannot help but think of Ted Kennedy. We are all saddened, and rightfully so by his current battle with cancer. Cancer is a terrible disease and we all donate money for research, “walk the walks,” and it helps. Yet, I cannot help but think of the tremendous irony. Two of Senator Kennedy’s brothers’ lives were cut short at a much earlier age than Ted. The damage to the brain we provided by guns in both cases, not the cancer that our beloved Senator battles, and may yet beat. His brothers did not live that long to fight the battle.
Andrew Colwell did not live that long as well. Please write to Mr. Kennedy, I think he may feel up to responding.
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people?” I’m sure Andrew Colwell’s gunman would have had a difficult time robbing and murdering him without that small caliber handgun, so easily obtained by our children.
In memory of Andrew Colwell
Rich Coleman
TO THE EDITOR:
As I reflect upon the recent murder “by gun” of Andrew Colwell, I cannot help but wonder how a 19-year-old high school dropout obtained a gun. This question prompted me to do a little bit of Internet research. Gun violence is an epidemic and a national disgrace. The facts speak for themselves.
“Every year in the United States guns kill nearly 30,000 people. We should not have to live in constant fear of our kids dying and being seriously injured in mass shootings like Virginia Tech, the Amish school near Nickel Mines, Pa., or Columbine. However even more disturbing is that, a normal day in America brings the loss of eight young people to shootings that occur on our streets and in our homes — the equivalent of two Columbines every other day.”
What are the U.S. Congress or State legislatures around the country doing about the problem? Almost nothing. Why? Because the National Rifle Association “NRA” and the gun industry use vast sums of money to block passage of sensible gun legislation — laws that are designed to reduce death and injury and create safer communities. The gun lobby claims that it is protecting gun owners’ rights under the Second Amendment. In fact, their efforts lead to the death or injury of thousands of innocent Americans every year as families such as the Colwells of Mansfield continue to pay an unbearable price for our national obsession with guns.
What needs to happen to reverse this ugly trend of gun violence? Protesting and organizing on the grassroots level — state-by-state. We must acknowledge our political impotence on the gun issue and be willing to mount state-by-state campaigns to rally support to save lives.
We are being challenged by the most powerful lobbying group in the U.S., which spends millions of dollars annually on lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. and state legislatures. This is not easy.
I cannot help but think of Ted Kennedy. We are all saddened, and rightfully so by his current battle with cancer. Cancer is a terrible disease and we all donate money for research, “walk the walks,” and it helps. Yet, I cannot help but think of the tremendous irony. Two of Senator Kennedy’s brothers’ lives were cut short at a much earlier age than Ted. The damage to the brain we provided by guns in both cases, not the cancer that our beloved Senator battles, and may yet beat. His brothers did not live that long to fight the battle.
Andrew Colwell did not live that long as well. Please write to Mr. Kennedy, I think he may feel up to responding.
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people?” I’m sure Andrew Colwell’s gunman would have had a difficult time robbing and murdering him without that small caliber handgun, so easily obtained by our children.
In memory of Andrew Colwell
Rich Coleman
