The Tragedy of the Nebraska Mall Shooting - A Commentary

At a time that should be filled with the joy and warmth of holiday shopping for friends and loved ones, 8 Nebraska families are instead facing a terrible tragedy and have lost mothers, fathers, siblings, and close friends. Our hearts and prayers go out to these families in their time of need.

Could this incident have been prevented? It is hard to say, but I have no doubt that incidents such as the Westroads Mall shooting in a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska, the Virginia Tech massacre, and the tragic school shootings could have been prevented by a combination of better mental health services affordable for all and stricter gun control legislation.

What I don't understand is that we have strict licensing laws for driving an automobile, yet licensing laws for guns are very casual. Everyone agrees that it is important to have strict motor vehicle laws. In order to get a license to drive in most states, one has to pass a written test and take a 6 hour class before being issued a learner’s permit. In order to have the right to drive, the driver must pass a vigorous road test proving that he or she can handle the motor vehicle safely. No such requirement exists for gun ownership.

Why can’t the same standards apply to gun ownership? Shouldn’t potential gun owners have to take a required safety course? Shouldn’t a license and a very strict background check be required for all firearms, not just hand guns? Shouldn’t we make it more difficult for mentally ill or former felons to purchase guns? Should dangerous assault firearms, such as the SKS assault weapon used by the mall shooter, even be sold to the public? Surely this is no hunting rifle.

Instead, the NRA (National Rifle Association) and their Republican cronies fight every piece of gun legislation that is brought before the Congress. Even the Democrats run scared and have to show that they are macho and be photographed with hunting gear. At least as a woman, Hillary Clinton won’t have to demonstrate her hunting prowess as did Senator Kerry, when he was running for President in 2004, so that he would not offend the powerful lobbying arm of the NRA.

Those of us who are for strict gun licensing are not trying to take away the guns of hunters although in my personal opinion one can certainly choose a more constructive sport than shooting innocent animals. We are only trying to regulate the ownership of guns so that mentally ill punks like the Nebraska mall or the Virginia Tech shooter can't get their hands on deadly assault rifles.

It is time to stand up and demand sensible gun legislation. Adequate mental health treatment must be made available to all who need it regardless of their ability to pay. This is an educational issue as well. People need to learn the signs of serious mental illness so that they can intervene before tragedy strikes. The shooters in the incidents above all displayed signs of serious mental illness.