Leaders must step up on gun control

Once again, after the tragedy in Colorado, we experience another murderous rampage in this country where 20 children, as of this writing, were ostensibly slaughtered through use of an automatic weapon with an ammunition clip large enough to massacre a full kindergarten classroom. As we have seen too often before, questions abound. What was his motive? Where did he get the gun? What was his behavior before the shooting? Were there conspirators?

His conspirators are those in this country who place roadblocks to more sensible gun laws. They are the legislators who filibuster any bill that would restrict the purchase of assault weapons, national agencies that interpret and defend only a portion of the Second Amendment, and American citizens whose hatred of others have no bounds.

We now must add to the certainty of death and taxes the future homicides that will surely occur as we continue to turn away from our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.

James D. Cook

Schaumburg