Letter: Focus on means, not just motive

Again we are witness to the horrific murder of innocent civilians, in this case children. Every crime has a motive, opportunity and means. Focus on the means, repeatedly it is a highly efficient killing device. That is its only purpose. The means often creates the opportunity.

Gun manufacturers using the NRA lobby try to divert attention away from these killing machines and focus on the motive.

Gun saturation in our society has created the potential of any social encounter to escalate and turn deadly. A road rage incident, job termination, bullying or unintended slight escalates quickly into murder, often multiple murders.

The Second Amendment proponents would like it all their way. They want no restrictions to "their freedom" and gun control discussions end with innuendos of gun violence to anyone who wants to limit their access to weaponry.

We are the frog whose water has boiled slowly. Growing up, the crime of the century was Richard Speck killing eight nurses. Now we have mass killings every other week.

The tail is wagging the dog here. No other society suffers from this "freedom" like we do in the U.S. We as citizens are responsible to these children, we are responsible for the rules that make it easy for perpetrators to get the means for mass killing. Inaction is all in the gun manufacturer's favor. They continue to ply candidates with money to protect their lethal industry.

We need to demand enacting of reasonable gun laws for the good of the many over the few. Let's hold our representatives responsible for enacting common sense gun laws, no excuses.

Paul Francis

Glen Ellyn