283 and counting

There was one in Harrisonburg a few days ago. And as of today, at least 283 across the United States of America since the Newtown massacre on December 14, 2012. That averages nearly 19 per day. We're talking about gun deaths. Afghanistan is safer.

Slate has partnered with @GunDeaths to, as much as possible given the haphazard national records, keep track of the toll of firearms on Americans. The murder of Ben Graessle was not on Slate's Gun-death tally, highlighting just how difficult it is to obtain up-to-date accurate information about this national tragedy.

Congress, are you awake and paying attention? President Obama, how about you? I won't even bother to ask about the folks convening in Richmond in a few weeks.

NRA floats a "good" idea

The NRA today called for "Congress today to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation."

Having an armed resource officer - a highly trained sheriff's deputy or police officer - in every school isn't such a bad idea. Malls have rent-a-cops. Government and private offices generally have security. Besides a resource officer in a school provides other benefits of community policing right in our schools. However, arming teachers or other school personnel, as some gun fanatics argue, is a horrible idea with far more potential for terrible consequences than saving a life.

The NRA didn't address how to pay the salaries and other costs for the security in schools. I suggest collecting a tax equal to 100% of the cost of the gun, to be collected at the point of sale, to be sent to an office within the Department of Homeland Security. These tax dollars will be directly distributed to local law enforcement agencies responsible for providing security in local public schools.

Of course, the NRA once again refuses to admit that guns are part of the problem and only can say that more guns are the solution. In this they totally miss the target.

So, in addition to beefing up security in our schools, how about these common sense steps:

• Banning the sale, importation, and possession of all semi-automatic and automatic weapons
• Banning the sale, importation, and possession of assault style weapons
• Banning clips and magazines that hold more than 10 bullets
• Banning armor piercing ammunition
• Providing federal grant money for localities to buy back and destroy all of the above dangerous weapons
• Requiring a background check on all sales of guns including private and gun show transactions
• Implementing stiff penalties with required prison time for anyone who violates these sensible gun laws
  
• Improving our mental health services in all communities
• Putting heavy moral pressure on all areas of the entertainment industry to be more responsible citizens in depicting guns and violence.

I never expected the NRA to fully address the problem of gun violence in our society and I certainly never expected them to look within for answers. But, Wayne LaPierre's press conference amply demonstrated just how far they are into the world of self-deception. Groups like Mayors Against Illegal Guns offer a far more balanced and sane approach that has a chance of actually reducing gun violence in the United States of America.