Guns

Not much has changed since the writing of this a DECADE ago.
SMDH

I don't want to say the wrong thing or have this be longer than it needs to. So I am just going to answer the simple question of what I thought. The essay was extremely well written. In the past, the only essays I have read were Buffy related, so this was a nice change of pace.

I wish more ‘we-don't-need-no-gun-control' Americans read this piece. Also, now I want to read Rage.

A short, well written essay laying out the problem of lack of gun control in the USA and how to deal with it without banning guns outright that also busts some myths along the way. Overly aggressive in some places, but a good reading nonetheless, even for those who aren't familiar with the issue.

I can't say that I agree with everything in the essay, but it was definitely thought provoking and worth the time to read it.

A short and though-provoking essay on America's stance on guns and gun violence. I liked it a lot - King is moderate on the issue, wanting not a ban on firearms (he owns a few himself), but reforms in gun laws. This is not a new stance, nor is his point one we've never heard before.

The heart of the essay is the way he directly addresses the false and sadly widespread claims that pop culture is what makes people go and shoot people. Starting with a book he wrote early in his career, Rage, and eventually touching upon the top books, films, and games sold/seen in 2012, he refutes the idea that an overly violent media culture is a problem. In fact, he points out how little gun violence is found in the top 10 books and movies of the last year.

Lastly, he addresses the President's recent calls for gun reform and which ones he thinks will succeed and which will not. He is hopeful and optimistic that our leaders will be able to find a way to address our ever-rising gun violence statistics. Here's hoping he's right.