It is right to let the Newtown community mark the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre by staying away from private memorial observances in a town that has seen so much tragedy. It is proper to respect the wishes of the victims' families by lighting a candle and performing random acts of kindness. While access to that day's 911 tapes is part of our freedom of the press, it is also fitting that most media outlets responsibly kept these disturbing recordings off the air or greatly restricted them from public exposure.
Yes, we have had many comforting words, wonderful gestures and good deeds in the wake of the Newtown shooting, but the disturbing issue remains. Gun related violence remains as American as apple pie and is still a taboo subject among too many policymakers thanks to well funded gun manufacturer lobbies refusing to include access to assault rifles in the public debate. Nationally this year, there have been many more initiatives to loosen gun laws than to tighten or enforce them while another 31,000 people died in gun violence. The NRA and others shift all the blame on violent video games or access to mental health care while supporting the same politicians who cut mental health funding. Connecticut politicians could no longer ignore this. Do we have to wait for a bigger incident to rekindle even a discussion to include guns?
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