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Paul Sims: Talk to the criminals about gun violence

Paul Sims
Dillon

Ms. Tracy: You tip your hand a bit when you refer to the reluctance of elected officials to address the gun violence issue. Why should they be afraid of the issue, or even involved in it, unless the idea of further legislation were on the table? Such language indicates that I, and other readers, didn’t miss the real point of your original article at all.

For the sake of argument, let’s say I did miss your “point” and all you want is a discussion. What exactly would the groups you listed have to say about gun violence? They’re not the ones causing it. I’m sure they’d all agree that violence in general is undesirable, as would I. Beyond that, they may as well be talking about the weather. Perhaps some well-meaning legislation would be called for (surprise!), which would then be ignored by the violent societal segment largely responsible for the headlines you list.

Which brings me to the group that remains so conspicuously uninvited to your gun conference: violent criminals. They’re the ones you really want to talk to. Perhaps you could invite some over for a civilized dialogue. Make sure they know the discussion will be in a gun-free zone so they’ll feel safe. You never know what those crazy guns will do, after all.



Words like “dialogue” or “discussion” can mean many things, but in the context of your argument they mean nothing. It’s intellectually dishonest to say your point has been missed while you hide behind such nebulous terms.


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