President's refusal to address gun control

On April 16, 32 innocent students lost their lives in a senseless tragedy. The mass murder at Virginia Tech is the largest in U.S. history. Right now, the entire country is in a state of shock, outrage and mourning.

America’s gun culture is under fire from foreign governments. The White House has taken the official position that the tragedy is too fresh in the minds of the public to allow for discussion of U.S. policies on gun control. Still, at a time where gun violence is responsible for such a horrendous massacre, it seems like the perfect time.

Back in 2001, after the attacks on Sept. 11, the White House spoke up immediately. They fought hard for increasing security measures and the public rallied around the flag—even when those measures came into conflict with constitutional freedoms.

Now, after the massacre at Virginia Tech, if the President was to speak up and advocate gun control laws, the country would follow suit. It doesn’t make sense that the White House would want to ignore issues of gun safety at this moment in time—unless you think of the financial and political motives.

Even if it’s in the interest of society as a whole, creating stricter gun laws is not in the financial interest of the Republican Party.

The National Rifle Association has donated millions of dollars in soft money to the Republican Party to date. And it seems like the good old boys are out to protect each other, even in the face of an atrocity like the killings at Virginia Tech.

The National Rifle Association has argued for years that it is our constitutional freedom to own and carry guns. Any step by the government to regulate the gun industry is always met with opposition by this group.

Yes, we are constitutionally guaranteed the right to own firearms. In no way should we be forced to give up that right. But in the face of the shootings at Virginia Tech, it is time for this country to stand up and admit that it has a gun problem.