Re "Gun control takes center stage" (Page A1, Jan. 15): The knee-jerk solution to the tragic Connecticut shooting is increased gun control. Few politicians have considered the real cause of mass killings.
Could being surrounded by movies, where violence is the norm, affect societal behavior? Could violent children's video games where blood and guts are splattered across monitors be desensitizing? Are our politicians addressing these issues?
The second area of where politicians should be concentrating their policy efforts is that of mental illness and firearms access. Currently, anyone purchasing a firearm has to have approval from the National Instant Criminal Background (NICS) check. Policy should be developed to deny approval of firearms purchase by the mentally ill, just as denial is made to criminals.
Increased gun control is an easy out for politicians. It does nothing but further limit freedoms of law abiding, responsible citizens.
-- Richard K. Lubbes, Lincoln
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