Be as concerned about guns as airbags

This past week a 10th death was linked to defective air bags - nine in this country and a 10th globally. A spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated, "This is a massive safety crisis". In response, the NHTSA expanded its recall by an additional 5 million drivers' side air bags bringing the total number to 28 million. This is a staggering number but a proper response. Even those who often oppose government intervention and regulations have at the least been silent.

Regarding mass shootings, here are the number of fatalities for just a few of the many instances that we are all aware of:

32 - Virginia Tech

27 - Sandy Hook Elementary School

14 - San Bernardino

9 - Charleston

Our response to these and similar events has been considerably different from our response to air bags - outrage, shock, thoughts and prayers, but no action.

How duplicitous we have become. No one is talking about taking gun ownership away from law abiding citizens. However, closing the loopholes on background checks and wait times could serve as a significant deterrent in keeping these guns out of the hands of the mentally disturbed and others who would do us harm. If just one similar incident could be prevented, it would at least equal the same number of lives saved as the response to recalling 28 million air bags.

Paul Dickinson

Arlington Heights