Devices not to blame for deaths

No easy answer when it comes to ending violent crime

When it comes to violence, we tend to fixate on a specific instrument or device.

Guns are frequently a target, and given all the mass shootings we’ve witnessed over the last 20 years, that is understandable. There is likely more that can be done to find a better balance on the gun control issue.

Unfortunately, that’s likely a small band-aid on a much bigger issue, because those who wish to inflict harm on someone else — whether it’s a specific target or simply to make a point — will find a way to do so with the tools and devices at hand.

Look at London over the weekend, where apparently coordinated attacks left seven people dead and dozens wounded. The instruments of terror weren’t guns — it was a vehicle driven into a crowd combined with a knife attack.

And speaking of London, the attack at the Ariana Grande concert didn’t involve a gun – it was a suicide bomber with a device designed to inflict maximum harm.

When one thinks of horrific incidents, one can cite plenty of examples involving guns: Sandy Hook, Columbine, etc.

But guns aren’t always the weapon of choice. And really, the problem is so much broader than the chosen weapon of destruction.

How does one force someone else to realize that human lives have value? We’ve entered an age where ending human lives to prove a point has become almost commonplace. It’s sickening.

Every day, one can find a story of violence in the news, usually multiple. Those stories span the globe, sometimes involving guns, sometimes knives, or box cutters, or vehicles.

It’s a sad state of affairs that so many, regardless of why or where, choose to commit violent acts. But how does one end these attacks? Banning a device, instrument or tool won’t end it, as someone motivated enough will find another path.

There is no easy answer. But until it’s figured out, these violent, heartbreaking stories will continue. Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.