From: Denny Kubal
Nashville
Indiana has a gun problem. The death rate by firearms in Indiana is the 18th highest in the country. The death rate by guns in Indianapolis was the highest on record last year, and Indianapolis is one of the top 10 murder capitals in the United States.
Our present gun laws seem to be making matters worse, not better. You would think concerned legislators would be attacking this problem and looking for ways to decrease violence. We know that Indiana is blessed with two prestigious universities with faculty who are nationally recognized as experts on gun violence. We know that the United States has the highest gun violence rate of any industrial country in the world.
Our legislators could be holding hearings and asking our experts for reasoned analysis of measures that prevent gun violence in other cities and other countries. You would think any viable option that could prevent gun deaths should be on the table, including more liberal gun laws as well as more gun restrictions if those measures have proven to prevent carnage and death.
For one legislator in Indiana reasoned analysis is not needed or appreciated. State Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, would allow licensed gun owners to carry firearms at public colleges and universities. He pushes his NRA agenda even though officials at both Purdue and IU have indicated that they are against it. He has no intention of looking beyond hand-picked statistics and anecdotal evidence as spoon-fed by the NRA.
There are measures that other states and countries have taken to reduce gun violence that responsible lawmakers should be studying. However, studying such measures may lead to conclusions that Lucas and the NRA could not support, therefore no studies will be allowed. It appears that some are more interested in blindly supporting NRA mandates then trying to improve the safety of Hoosiers.
