Wayne Lapierre, CEO of National Rifle Association
[Op-Ed]
'There are nearly four times as many licensed gun dealers than McDonald’s franchises nationwide...'
Last week, America witnessed yet another tragic mass shooting at Fort Hood, where a disgruntled and mentally unstable soldier killed three and wounded 16 before taking his own life.
It is disturbing that members of the Armed Services risk their lives for us abroad only to become victims of violence at their home military base. I send my deepest sympathies to the victims and their families. While mass shootings like this justifiably command national attention, we must not overlook the equally senseless homicides and gun violence that we glance over in the local media — we must renew our efforts to curtail gun violence.
We cannot continue to accept the status quo as the norm. Only two weeks ago in my community in New York City, a husband and father of two was shot dead on an MTA bus while speaking on the phone with his mother. The victim was a hardworking immigrant who embodied an individual chasing the American Dream— a man on the way from his first job to his second one to provide for his family. He was killed instantly with a revolver when a 14-year-old mistakenly fired it while aiming at a rival gang member on the bus.
This tragedy is heartbreaking for both the families of the victim and the alleged shooter who has ruined his life before it truly began. Instead of pursuing his ambitions for the future, the teenager will likely spend the majority of his life behind bars. Why is it still so easy for an adolescent to get a firearm today in New York City?
Before we even debate on the need for more or less “gun control,”
