The monster in the political room

All the conversations and op-eds and breast-beating about the recent slaughter in Aurora, Colo., ignores the monster behind all these tragedies. Maniacs, screwed-up kids, violent and sick people commit these atrocities, which violate the social contract, and the people with the power to do something about it ignore the source of these events — weapons of destruction in the hands of the people who bring tragedies to their fellow citizens.

The president speaks of victims and offenders, but fails to note that this person had an arsenal of killing tools that never should be available to the public. In place after place, recently Oklahoma City (Timothy McVeigh), Columbine (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) and Tucson (Jared Lee Loughner), we meet, moan for the tragedies and ignore the reality that without guns and other killing tools, these events would not happen. The power of the gun lobby is so strong that politicians fear their wrath and allow the slaughters to go on. This is no way to manage a civilization.

The citizens are in agreement we need gun controls; their representatives need to be pushed to take reasonable action. Until America and its politicians confront the monster in the political room, these horrors will be repeated.

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