April 6: With Each Gun Death.....

Sylvia Gurinsky

I'm willing to concede to the National Rifle Association on one point: Guns don't kill people. People kill people.

But an abundance of guns make it a lot easier for people to kill people.

We've seen the examples over and over again in recent weeks, with the latest instance being last week's shooting in Binghamton, N.Y. The shooter, Jiverly A. Wong, killed 13 people, including himself, and wounded four. USA Today reports that Wong was a frequent buyer of weapons:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-05-new-york-shooting_N.htm

With each gun death, the NRA's arguments about guns and the freedom to shoot them become sillier and more tone-deaf to reality. With each mass shooting, the need for tougher gun control laws - including a full reinstatement of the assault weapons ban - becomes clear.

Will the Binghampton shootings make the Democrats in Congress develop a spine and reconsider their romantic relationship with the NRA? Or are they still willing to compromise public safety to win re-election to their seats?

Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel was one of the victims in the Columbine High School shootings 10 years ago, was in Maine testifying for stricter gun control laws. Now, 13 other families understand what Mauser does - the price this country pays for its romance with guns. Will elected officials, including President Barack Obama, develop that understanding?