Gun control is not a cultural battle

[SecularMotion]

(CNN) -- On the eve of the anniversary of the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, yet another shooting broke out Friday -- this time in a high school in the suburbs of Denver. A few people were reported injured, so far, while the gunman took his own life, police said. And once again, an American community reels -- bewildered that such violence could occur among its young people.

While the vast majority of youth murdered in the U.S. are gunned down in the street, school shootings that are rare in other countries occur far too frequently in America.

The U.S. does not have unusually high rates of crime, violent behavior or mental illness compared with other high-income countries; but our rate of homicide with firearms is nearly 20 times higher. Lax gun laws that allow dangerous people easy access to guns plays an important role in this disparity.

There was reason to believe that Congress would be forced to put public safety interests ahead of the special interests of the gun lobby after 20 young children and six adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School a year ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/opinion/webster-newtown-shooting/