"Thou Shalt Not Kill" - you do remember the sixth commandment - says it responsibly and simply. Four words - - what’s not to understand? Many people say, "but yes, the Bible also says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." If we keep up with the way we are going, and we all don’t die, we’re going to live in a sightless world with no teeth.

Troubled students, upset with other students, set out randomly to destroy schoolmates, teachers and unknowns - anyone who stand in their way. Why? Now that this dastardly deed has been committed, the instant experts are trying to come up with the instant answers. Just like the O. J., Michael Jackson, and Robert Blake trials brought on a plethora of lawyers, so also, this recent tragedies have brought in a plethora of arm chair psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, advisors, and new age sages. They are dissecting, scrutinizing, exploring and probing these horrendous acts. If you listen to the experts, there is more than enough blame to go around. The kids who taunted them? The kids who flaunted their highly unusual makeup, jewelry, and clothing/ The parents who at best were permissive and at worst may have sanctioned the odd behavior, the teachers who went into the noble profession to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, and not conflict resolution and morals, law enforcement officers who would be damned if they stormed the facility the school and damned if they didn’t, the Internet for having the recipe of explosive devices and let's not forget Rap music with its unsavory lyrics.

Yes there is enough blame to go around with a whole lot left over. Along with the blame is the myriad number of simplistic solutions to the many complex problems. Build more prisons and lock the bad kids up. Have everyone wear a uniform. Install more metal detectors. Have more search and seizures and lockdowns. Mandatory drug testing for all with appropriate punishment for offenders.

The solution heard most often — toughen the gun laws. Yeah, right. Like that’s helped in the past. Do you really think that Carl Ferguson, the Long Island Railroad gun slinger, obtained his gun legally? As far as I can tell, the Brady law is nothing more than a "feel good" law promulgated by emotion -- and as the old saying goes, "emotion makes for bad law."

Prohibition never stopped the consumption of alcohol. "Just Say No" hasn’t been exactly the panacea that was expected to rid society from drug abuse. All the warnings on cigarettes haven’t prevented our young people taking to smoking, in spite of them knowing the facts. Tougher gun laws will never stop the proliferation of weaponry used for man’s inhumanity to man. John R. Lott, Jr. teaches criminal law and economics at the University of Chicago Law School. His book, MORE GUNS, LESS CRIME informs us that: Understanding Crime and Gun Control does a 180 on the entire subject of guns. He concludes that concealed handgun laws reduce violet crime for two reasons. First, they reduce the number of attempted crimes because cowardly criminals are uncertain which potential victims can defend themselves. Second, victims who have guns are in a much better position to defend themselves. For each additional year that a concealed handgun law is in effect, the murder rate declines by 3 percent, rape by 2 percent, and robberies by over 2 percent says Professor Lott.

Now I am not going around advocating that we should all become pistol packing mommas, but I must admit I don’t believe making another unenforceable gun law is the answer either.

I know it’s a bit Pollyannaish, but I just keep thinking about the sixth commandment — THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

   (Home)