Letters: Blame those who shoot the gun in killings, not the gun manufacturers

Chicago Tribune

a day ago

The op-ed 'Why not hold gun manufacturers accountable for mass shootings like River North tragedy?' by Anthony Douglas, Selwyn Rogers, Mallory Williams and Arne Duncan makes me wonder where their logic comes from.
Did the gun shoot its victim? No. The gun was the tool a criminal used to cause harm. The weapon didn't fire itself. If we are going to hold gun manufacturers accountable, don't stop there. Automobile companies should be held to the same standards. The accident was the carmaker's fault. Go after all the big names.
You trip and fall on a sidewalk? Let's hold the concrete company accountable. I cut my hand while preparing dinner? It's the knife manufacturer's fault. What happened to common sense?
If for some reason anyone thinks holding the gun manufacturers accountable will decrease gun sales to criminals, think again. Most criminals don't go to the local gun shop to purchase legally. They deal in stolen weapons. These costs for medical services are more than excessive. Maybe we need better laws with higher accountability for the one possessing the gun?
Strengthen the justice system and law enforcement to hold these criminals and careless gun owners accountable. A slap on the wrist for illegal gun possession is the problem. Irresponsible gun owners need education and laws requiring proper storage to keep guns out of children's hands.Arne Duncan and his co-authors seek to hold the makers of inanimate objects — gun manufacturers — 'accountable' for the River North massacre that left four dead and many more injured. But why not also blame auto manufacturers? The massacre was a drive-by shooting after all. And don't forget bullet-makers and steel plants and — well, anything that shifts the blame from the real perpetrators.It's hard to believe op-ed writers would ask: 'Why not hold gun manufacturers accountable for mass shootings?' It is hard to imagine a more inane question.
Gun manufacturers do not pull the trigger, so they can't be charged. Only the shooters are chargeable.
The Second Amendment says that 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' To win an anti-gun case in court, that rule must be out-argued, case by case.
Maturation as a nation has not brought about that realization that the right to bear arms is no longer justified as it was at the outset. Our lawmakers would face an uphill battle canceling that right through congressional action. So we live with the anomaly, with hundreds dying annually from guns. Fear rules.
To escape the reality of guns, individuals would have to move outside the USA.Over the Fourth of July weekend, Chicago experienced its least deadly in six years. That's the headline for some, and it's progress to be proud of. But for Black and brown communities across Chicago, that narrative ignores the fact that it was a weekend still filled with trauma, heartbreak and loss.
Three mass shootings occurred during the holiday week and weekend: in River North, Back of the Yards and Little Village. They all left Black and brown people dead or injured. There was no outpouring of public grief or demands for justice. These lives mattered, yet you'd hardly know it from the deafening silence.
As a Black woman and the executive director of Illinois' largest gun violence prevention coalition, I carry both sorrow and deep frustration. Because time and again, I've watched our communities be forced to suffer through violence alone, while similar tragedies in whiter, more affluent neighborhoods spark national outrage.
That's not to say Highland Park; Nashville, Tennessee; or Lewiston, Maine, didn't deserve mourning or attention — they did. But so do the families in Little Village. So do the teens and young adults in Back of the Yards. So do those celebrating an album release in River North.
This country must confront the racial bias that decides whose lives matter after gun violence happens. Who do we grieve publicly? Whose stories do we amplify? Whose safety is prioritized? When the victims of gun violence are Black or brown, the outrage is muted, the urgency slower and the investment often missing.
This disparity isn't just a media problem. It shows up in policy too. When the narrative suggests that violence is a normal feature of life in certain neighborhoods, it becomes easier for policymakers to ignore it. It becomes easier to underfund community-based solutions. It becomes easier to write off the trauma experienced by survivors, children and families simply trying to live their lives.
Our communities are not asking for pity — we are demanding equity. Equity in how violence is covered. Equity in how survivors are supported. Equity in how lifesaving solutions are funded. This includes greater investment in community violence intervention programs that are already saving lives. These programs reduce shootings, interrupt cycles of retaliation and offer real alternatives where inequitable systems have failed.
Until every child can play outside without fear, and every family can celebrate a holiday without mourning, we have more work to do.In the aftermath of unspeakable tragedy in River North, the weight of grief permeates our lives, reminding us of our shared humanity.
The recent massacre that took so many innocent lives serves is a harrowing reminder of the fragility of existence. Entire families have been shattered in an instant, and the echoes of their loss resonate deeply. Having experienced my own losses — my father taken by violence during the Intifada and a cousin lost to a tragic attack — I find myself mourning not just for those directly affected, but also for all of us who share in this collective sorrow.
In these moments, it becomes clear that the struggles faced by different communities are interconnected. The pain of loss knows no boundaries, and it is essential that we come together to support one another. Our shared experiences of mourning and loss create a powerful opportunity for us to stand in solidarity against the cycles of hatred that seek to divide us.
As a Jewish woman, I recognize the importance of acknowledging our histories and the struggles that have shaped our identities. There is a profound strength in unity, and now, more than ever, we must lift each other up. Together, we can challenge the narratives that perpetuate division and instead weave a story of compassion and mutual respect.
Let us transform our grief into action, creating a tapestry of support that honors the memories of those we have lost. It is through these connections that we can challenge violence and work toward a future in which such tragedies are no longer a reality.I believe it's well known that Fourth of July is a favorite holiday of first responders. This past one was especially hard for those in Chicago who responded to a fire alarm at a home in Logan Square (think about all that heavy gear on a 90-plus-degree day) and arrived to find a 4-year-old stabbed to death and his 10- and 13-year-old siblings also stabbed.
Nobody should have to walk in to find that carnage. I'm guessing some of the fire and police officials are parents themselves. How do you process and recuperate from that? The mother has been charged, and, sadly, mental illness is involved. Such a tragedy on what is this nation's birthday.
And then there's the first responders in Texas, again on the Fourth of July weekend, dealing with children. The devastation is beyond comprehension and the heartbreak unimaginable.
So please, let's keep all first responders in our thoughts and prayers and give thanks they are there to help us when we need it.
On that note, a special shout-out to the LaGrange Fire Department, which we had to call twice this winter. You all are the best of the best, and we thank you!