Massacre with Advance Warning

The massacre in Washington, D.C. again shows how wrong the United States gun lobby is. Since the shootings in Newtown, Conn. nine months ago, it has more vehemently than ever opposed stronger background checks for gun buyers. Had more stringent checks been in place, they might possibly have prevented the latest bloodbath in Washington. The shooter was mentally disturbed and had attracted police attention for once firing a weapon into the ceiling of his apartment and, on another occasion, shooting out the tires of a vehicle because he felt he had been disrespected. Then, several weeks prior to his rampage, he claimed to be hearing voices that were harassing him.

How is it possible that such a person could legally buy multiple firearms? How can it be that he was only prevented from buying an assault rifle — which would have permitted him to kill even more people — purely by chance? How is it possible that a nation prefers to defend the freedom to kill rather than to save lives by passing stronger gun laws?

Since World War II, there have been 12 shooting incidents in the United States that resulted in more than a dozen deaths. The first six took place over the 50 years between 1949 and 1999; the last six happened during the last six years.

Those statistics should be enough to make even gun nuts pause and reflect.