Chapman's cynicism on gun violence not helpful

Trib pundit Steve Chapman can be sensible and logical on governmental overreach. Foolish governmental drug policies on marijuana come to mind. I'm disappointed, however, in his throwing cold water on the firestorm of outrage following the Parkland machine gun massacre demanding that Congress do more to protect us instead of cashing those NRA checks and snoozing. In fact, his 'A cure for mass shootings doesn't exist' (Tribune, February 18) likely gets the NRA seal of approval. To say we can never prevent another school machine gun massacre is not the point.

We're never going to go from 34,000 gun deaths yearly, including a dozen or so shootings in schools, to zero. But we can reduce them significantly if we do what's never been done; have the people through Congress legislate guns instead of the NRA. Current NRA policy, which Chapman ignores, is that the more guns, including machine guns, the better. Our NRA-run Congress has helped create a public health crisis of unprecedented horror. Without strong regulation we will never begin to reduce the carnage and see a reduction rather than an increase in public place massacres, as well as garden variety single shootings.

Would Chapman say automobile and highway safety regulations are a failure because 40,000 die yearly in highway accidents. No, because he knows that without those regulations we might see 80,000 deaths yearly. Those regulations, some quite onerous, give us all a better chance at a full life. The same goes for gun regulation. If prompt, drastic laws passed while the grief is still palpable can reduce annual gun deaths a modest 10%, 3,400 folks will dodge the Grim Reaper in the next year. That's a start. Chapman needs to get on board the gun control train before it leaves the station.