ETCETERA NIGHTCAP Finding Common Ground By Harry Kirsbaum fi aybe this is the turning point, when gun enthusiasts and Sec- ond Amendment true believers sit across the table from gun control advocates to find some kind of reason- able common ground. Maybe this is the turning point when legislators and number crunchers sit across the table from doctors and law- yers and hospital administrators to find a way to better help families whose potentially dangerous mentally ill fam- ily members may harm themselves or others. Nancy Lanza broke no laws purchas- ing the 9mm Glock and 9mm Sig Sauer handguns, the shotgun and the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. She broke no laws taking her son Adam to the gun range to teach him how to shoot. She didn't break any laws, period. No laws were broken until the mo- ment that Adam, 20, killed his mother with one of those weapons, then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and took the lives of six adults and 20 children before killing himself. No laws were broken, but fatal errors in judgment were plentiful. Adam had issues. He was withdrawn, had temper tantrums until he was 10, had few friends. Police are still trying to gather facts on his life, and maybe they will be able to answer the million-dol- lar question: Knowing what she knew, how could Nancy take her troubled son to a gun range instead of a doctor? The problem isn't just about guns or mental illness or violent video games or our violent society. It's all of them bundled up into one sickening pack- age. We have to sit down together and figure this out. The NRA, which shut down its Facebook page immediately after the Sandy Hook shootings, said in a prepared statement,"The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contri- butions to help make sure this never happens again:' It announced a press conference for Dec. 21. Whether the organization, which just days before the shooting thanked its Facebook followers for the millions °Mikes," decides to support an assault weapons ban or close the gun show loophole that allows Flowers for those who died in the Sandy Hook shootings unlicensed sellers to sell guns without conduct- ing a background check into a movie theater during a midnight remains to be seen. showing of The Dark Knight Rises in In terms of handguns, rifles and Aurora, Colo., in July and calmly killed assault weapons, we need a national 12 people and injured 58 with an as- debate that leads to federal laws. Even sault weapon, some said that if people though California has one of the strict- in the crowd were armed, they could est gun laws in the nation, it doesn't have taken him out. make the state any safer if a Californian Yes, it makes perfect sense for un- who doesn't have the qualifications to trained citizens to pull their weapons own a gun can simply buy one across and shoot at a person in in the dark the border in Arizona. with hundreds of audience members This tragedy will happen again. screaming and running from their There's no stopping a sick person from seats. What could go wrong there? getting his hands on a weapon and Vice President Joe Biden has been taking lives. We can question whether appointed to lead a government-wide principals or teachers should carry, gun initiative that will attempt to seek or everyone should be armed to the a solution.This will not shrink govern- teeth. ment, but do we really want a shrink- When James Eagan Holmes walked ing government in this matter? ft RENAISSANCE MEDIA .SOLUTIONS A Full Service Custom Publishing House 1 Alt ■ • %I • 1.0 • 11...0 • 1.1.1 oFFETzin, Year-Round Swim Lessons! . New Years Resolution #1 Learn to Swim! • • At Goldfish, we start our swimmers at 4 months old! Your children are never too young to begin learning essential life skills they will carry with them forever! 4 months - 12 years of age 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio 30-minute weekly lessons Our pools are 90 degrees! 10 Locations, times & details can be found on our website: goldfishswimschool.com FA LIKE US on Facebook! 1778380 Custom Banners Now can we help you? Wall and Window Graphics Video Production Marketing Services Creative Services Editorial Services Pre-press Production Social Media Magazines Newspapers Corporate Identities Annual Reports Ad Campaigns Mail and postage Project Management Business Consulting Data Management Telemarketing • "."/, 7410 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (N.E. corner of 14 Mile & Haggerty Rd; across from Hiller's) Open Daily for lunch • High Tea all day long • We sell loose tea Corporate Identity / Branding Contact Kevin Browett or Debbie Schultz 29200 Northwestern Hwy. • Suite 110 • Southfield, MI 48034 248.354.6060 44 January 2013 I RED TIIREIID Linstish Tea Garden Book your "SPECIAL EVENT" on Saturdays only (20 or more min.) Mon & Thurs II am-5pm Tues, Wed. & Friday — llam-3pm Sat 11 am -3pm by appt. Ww w.en gl ishteagarden .n et (248) 788-4250 *Tea Events Available! Buy one get second one HALF OFF (Sandwich or Salad only) - excludes lobster & high tea" *With this ad. Reservations Suggested. Please present coupon to server when ordering. Expires 1/30/13 www.redthreadmagazine.com