The New York Times called America’s lack of gun control regulations a “moral outrage” in an editorial published on page one of Saturday morning’s paper. The strongly worded piece labeled all mass shootings “acts of terrorism” and called for outlawing some large categories of weapons and ammunition for civilian ownership.
“It is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed specifically to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency,” the editorial board wrote. “These are weapons of war, barely modified and deliberately marketed as tools of macho vigilantism and even insurrection.”
The editorial was a response to the latest mass shooting to capture national headlines: a married couple’s rampage at an employee holiday party in San Bernardino, California that left 14 dead on Wednesday.
Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. told the Associated Press that this was the first time the newspaper has run an editorial on Page 1 since 1920. The Times’ intention is to “deliver a strong and visible statement of frustration and anguish about our country’s inability to come to terms with the scourge of guns.”
The editorial board chastised national political leaders for failing to pass “the most basic restrictions on weapons of mass killing,” offering prayers to the families of victims of gun violence but no concrete solutions.
The New York Daily News also called out politicians’ “thoughts and prayers” reaction to the San Bernardino shootings with a Thursday cover headline that read “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS.”
It’s gonna take more than a strongly worded editorial to loosen the grip that the NRA has on our politicians, media, and the millions of single issue gun nuts in this not-well-in-the-head country. But every bit helps, so thank you, NYT.
someone help me out here…
I’m a bit conflicted in that living in California we have some of the toughest gun control laws in the country…
for long guns you have to pass a background check and wait 10 days before taking possession of your firearm… to buy a handgun you have to pass a written test and demonstrate knowledge of the handgun you purchase and then wait 10 days to pick it up… you can only buy one handgun every 30 days…
it has been suggested that some of the guns used were ‘straw man’ purchases… made by someone else and then given to the shooters…
given all that… how does it get fixed?
California only allows possession of 10 round magazines but its easy to drive over the Nevada or Arizona border to buy larger magazines…
the country outlawed full auto weapons but you can still get one if you have a Federal license… do we need to do that with AR15 and AK47 type weapons that crappy politicians use to cook bacon with?
help me out here…
The Daily News is labeling Wayne LaPierre a terrorist.
Clearly, this is something the states can not accomplish by themselves. Not matter how many restrictions California puts on killing machines, Arizona can and does trump them. Other states as well. Only a national solution will suffice in this instance.
They’re being too kind.