From: Nancy J. Warren
Columbus
The tragedy in New Zealand was over the top in brutality, horror and grief. It was too much to take in with emotions flooding the senses, of anger colliding with empathy and sorrow. Overall, however, was the awareness of another senseless killing of human beings. Familiar questions again confront us: What to do to prevent more such killings?
It may be impossible but we must try.
In the aviation realm, pilots agree that an accident is rarely the result of one mistake, but is the result of the culmination of a number of mistakes. Using that same philosophy, any one approach to the prevention of mass killings will go only so far because there are many factors to be considered. The following is a list of some of those factors:
- The excessive exposure of children, youth and mentally challenged people to violence in the movies, on television and in video games.
- The failure in the home to store firearms and ammunition where no inappropriate person has access to them.
- Be a voice to demand that sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns be ruled illegal.
- Be aware of one’s surroundings and strangers when away from home.
- Report any suspicious activities or conversations which are alarming.
- Carry the contact numbers for local law enforcement officials.
Please remember: The voices of victims of gun violence have been stilled. Without our voices, their deaths will be for naught.
