We Must Find A Solution to the Gun Problem

Last August, I posted my opinion on gun control ( The Frequent Critic: “Guns Plus Mental Illness – A Recipe For Disaster” ) I had no answers but said we must find a solution.

The recent mass shooting in Orlando Florida where 49 people were shot and killed by a lone gunman – who also ended up dead at the hands of police – has brought the whole issue of gun control to a head. The Boston Globe published a powerful front page with an AR-15 assault rifle like the one used by the killer, with the headline “Make It Stop.”

It is a succinct but powerful message.

I do believe in a person’s right to bear arms, but I am sure that the framers of The Constitution never had assault rifles in mind.

We must make these senseless killings stop, and the best way to do it is to control access to these weapons. I still don’t have all the answers here but there must be enough great minds in this country to come up with something.

We need to MAKE IT STOP.



Check out my blog home page for the latest information, The Frequent Critic, here.

Guns Plus Mental Illness – A Recipe For Disaster

There have been too many killings lately at the hands of people with guns who are mentally ill. I have no issue with people having their guns, but there needs to be some way to prevent people who do not have the capacity to use them properly to get them and keep them. 

We are a country of many freedoms, but we also need to be able to protect people from those who are abusing those freedoms. The problem is: a person may be mentally stable when they buy the gun, then a mental “break” occurs and that gun is used in the wrong way. Other than mandating some sort of annual mental illness test in order to keep a handgun – which would likely not be legal,  much less practical – I don’t know how it could be policed.

There are so many new treatments for mental illness, but identifying the mentally ill and getting them access to and mandating treatment can be difficult.

I don’t have the answer. I’m not sure anyone does. But what I do know is that I am tired of innocent people being killed by someone who is mentally unstable.

We must find a solution!



Check out my blog home page for the latest information,
The Frequent Critic, here.