Sandy Hook and Everything After

FlowingData is a site that I read frequently because they create interesting infographics and images that combine all kinds of data together to give regular folks an idea of how things work. As you can see below, they posted an image today to give the public an idea of how many gun deaths we have had in the United States since the deaths of students at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, CT.

Source: FlowingData.com

That's a pretty scary map. No one would admit that this is normal. In fact, the U.S. has a problem with gun-related deaths that other countries do not come close to. The question is: what is the solution? Do we ban certain kinds of guns? Do we have background checks for everyone? Something must be done. We cannot keep living this way.

There is one belief that the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents anything from being done in terms of gun control. The Constitution is a magnificent document, but there are parts of it that do not apply the same way today as they did in the 18th century. It is time that we rethink parts of our laws. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Jefferson because I believe it applies to this situation quite a bit.

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors." - Thomas Jefferson to H. Tompkinson alias Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1816

Gun deaths since Sandy Hook