It
is a depressing characteristic of government today to loudly enact
legislation and impose regulations of little utility, while neglecting
to address the root causes of truly serious problems. We do not know to
what degree a Sandy Hook or a Columbine is caused by improperly treated
mental illness, violent video games, Hollywood’s saturation of the
popular culture with graphic mayhem — or access, by hook or by crook, to
semi-automatic “assault” rifles. But we do know that the latter play
almost no role in Chicago’s horrific annual tally of 500 murders — and
account for less than 1 percent of the gun-related deaths in the United
States each year. Yet we also confess that taking on Hollywood, the
video-game industry, or the mental-health establishment would be far
more acrimonious and politically risky than demonizing the National
Rifle Association.
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