james_nicoll directed to me to statistics on accidental death among children, pointing out there are greater threats than firearms homicide.Well, yes. Of course. Guilty as charged.
I guess my response is thus: there are so many issues of concern. To name only a few: drunk driving, overseas humanitarian crises (Darfur), domestic humanitarian crises (post-Katrina), the prevalence of prison rape and violence in the US penal system.
Just as with charitable donation, commitment to social issues is very much a matter of personal reaction and emotional investment. That there are other issues, either within the realm of child fatality or within the larger realm of social breakdown, is painfully obvious. For some reason, gun violence, specifically school-related gun violence, resonates with me. Not because I've ever lost someone to such an event, for I haven't, but simply because it does. I suppose I can all too readily imagine
the_child spending the last moments of her life in soul-wrenching fear and panic, wondering why I haven't helped her.That makes it personal.
And guess what? More guns, in my hands or yours, won't help her. Instead of deciding to arm myself to defend her, I'd rather disarm society to keep her safe. Unless I want to barricade her in my home round the clock, or follow her at all times while I'm carrying, making society safer is the only way to defend her.
