Nine days ago we were confronted with utter madness, the deepest of sorrows and ultimately the shame of not doing more to prevent Newtown. This is my shame because while I did legislate the assault weapons ban in the California Legislature, my words did not resonate on the national level. Despite Aurora, Oak Creek, Virginia Tech and Tucson, I did not push harder. And now 26 are dead including 20 children. This is how I see my grief.
But this is not a new failing. According to the FBI, over the past 5 years alone at least 774 people have died in mass killings, including 161 children under 13.
Killers engage in deadly sprees about every two weeks somewhere in America.
This cannot continue.
Task forces are welcome, and I hope they spur a serious conversation across the country. Violence in America is a complex problem and requires thoughtful deliberation and thoughtful solutions. We need a better mental health system. We need to examine the pervasive role of violence and glorification of guns in media and entertainment.
But we cannot blame this crisis on violent video games or mental illness.