Given that this country didn’t even make it one week into a new year before there was another school shooting, we must all ask our legislators: how many dead kids is an acceptable number for 2024? How many lives are they willing to sacrifice this year in exchange for their continued loose gun laws; their tired “thoughts and prayers;” their macho violence promotion? 100? 1,000? 10,000?
This endemic, ongoing and exceptionally American slaughter is obscene, particularly because it is so preventable. There are cures for this madness. Legislatures must institute universal and instant background checks, waiting periods and “red flag” laws. Eliminate unregulated gun sales. Ban assault weapons. Hold gunmakers liable. Actually fund mental health care. Make bullets $1,000 each.
Options beyond butchery exist. Yet our legislators have done nothing. They must act. They must do the job scores of polls and millions of exasperated voters demand they do. Our government must vanquish this internationally unique disgrace, this epidemic of American gun violence. And, if it cannot, if it will not, then we must ask our legislators to be honest and tell us what number of murdered fellow citizens is the price we all must accept for this dirty business.
Nik Charov
South Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.