Tragedy in Colorado
As expected, the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater triggered talk about gun control, some increased gun sales in Colorado and people demanding answers.
In response to the 12 deaths and wounding of 58 people, New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg spoke publicly this week about looking for "common sense measures." He didn't elaborate what the measures would entail in the Associated Press article.
It's unlikely any new legislation would receive enough support to become law, considering some legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have stood up for their constituents' right to bear arms, the article states.
But in the aftermath of tragedies, it is important to keep a cool head and not create more problems. New legislation and new rules tend to cause other unexpected issues, which in turn, can prompt more problems. Would new measures really stop someone from carrying out such a heinous act of violence?
As Moses Lake readers Jon Smith and Thomas Fancher point out in their respective letters to the editor today, people determined to hurt others often find other ways to carry out their crimes.
The Columbia Basin Herald's Editorial Board agrees. To some people, stricter gun controls wouldn't make a difference.
At this time, the Editorial Board does not support stricter gun laws. We think it is important that people have a means to protect themselves, their families and their property. Penalizing people who didn't commit a crime is not the answer.
It is understandable the senator wants to help during such a horrific time. Personal stories about the victims, their lives and those they left behind are being broadcast in the media. Even though the victims are out of state, we can sympathize with losing a loved one so unexpectedly.
The experience of sharing a movie with your family in the summertime could be termed a national pastime for some. Escaping the heat to summer by sitting in a dark, cool movie theater is something we can all appreciate.
The shooting does prompt some questions. Will the Colorado movie theater carry on business like before or will the owners set up stricter security for all moviegoers? Such a change would likely inconvenience people who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone.
It is important to note gun rights have been expanded in the past few years and guns are allowed in national parks and on Amtrak trains.
In the wake of tragedies, laws, company policies and practices have been known to change in the name of safety and helping people feel safe. But making wide sweeping changes isn't the answer.
We hope our nation's leaders and business owners who run large, public facilities keep this in mind in their reactions to the tragedy in Colorado.
Robert Fancher, one of our Moses Lake letter writers, reminds us of the excessive media coverage about the alleged gunman, rather than more positive stories. Fancher is right. Stories such as the Colorado story receive top billing in the news.
It is also important to remember some of the leading causes of death, most of which are disease related.
The top 14 causes of death are heart diseases, malignant neoplasms, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, accidents (unintentional injuries), Alzheimer's diseases, diabetes mellitus, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis, influenza and pneumonia, suicide, septicemia, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease and Parkinson's disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
In the wake of tragedy it is important to keep things in perspective and not let a knee jerk reaction dictate future policies and laws.
- Editorial board