We reflected after Kent State. We reflected after Columbine. We reflected after Virginia tech.

[mfcorey1]

We reflected after the shooting of Congress woman Gabriel Giffords. We are reflecting after the Colorado theater massacre. America, where do we go next?

[Brickbat]

1. Farther into the House of Mirrors.

That's a lot of reflecting.

[Horse with no Name]

2. Personally I am getting weary of the coverage

if it doesn't spur some serious discussion about policy change...then it is just mere gawking.

IF we are going to spend this much time, then it should be a serious discussion about what WE can do to prevent it--and not a soapbox for the gun nuts to tell us how many guns DIDN'T kill people.

[Hoyt]

3. That's what those who profit from guns, and those who need guns to venture out depend upon.

Well, that and the NRA and other right wing organizations that buy Congress to keep the gun pipeline open. And the NRA is not just lobbying for guns, the push other right wing causes too.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. For once you almost got something right, but for the wrong reason

The NRA and other gun groups have proven time and time again they can get out votes. When they do, many other liberals suffer at the ballot box. That is why most of us know that VPC/Brady Bunch gun control is a loser for our party. Figure it out, its not going to help us.

[Lizzie Poppet]

4. Well for one thing, perhaps we examine our priorities.

Incidents like this latest tragedy are horrific and attention-getting. They dominate the media and discussion in places like this (sure did take Mitt Romney's travails off the front page, didn't it...?). But in terms of the risk factor they actually represent a statistical blip.* It's not the rare psycho like Holmes going off that represents the larger threat of misuse of guns, it's the plain old garden variety common criminal, the ones whose crimes only get attention when considered in aggregate. Those are the murders and assaults tha represent the far, far greater threat to the average American, and those are the root causes and motivations we should be prioritizing in terms of trying to make changes.

*please don't think I'm minimuizing anything about the ghastly human cost here...I'm speaking strictly in terms of the relative import of such incidents in terms of how we make policy decisions effecting our safety.

[lunatica]

5. We need to push for the next step

There's nothing wrong with reflection. But there should be some sort of next step after it. We have to figure it out or just shut up and let people like Zimmerman and Holmes rule the streets.

[frazzled]

6. We need a sustained, national organization

The equivalent of the NRA, or perhaps better, MADD, that is dedicated to working for sensible gun legislation. A single, big clearinghouse with lobbying power and money (from us). That's always how these things work.

The Brady organization doesn't seem to have much impact, though perhaps it could grow after this (yet again).

I totally agree with you: we get interested in this for 2 days after each incident, and then crawl back behind the curtains while the gun bullies continue to rule.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. There are several, generally perceived as weak and ineffective

because they are.

[hack89]

9. You have it backwards

you start with sustained and nation public interest. It is not there. Too many average Americans own guns and don't see themselves as the problem.

[B2G]

10. That's probably because they *aren't* the problem

Criminals and crazies are the problem.

[frazzled]

11. You need a group to create the interest /nt

[hack89]

13. The Brady bunch and the VPC failed.

what are you going to do differently from them?

There is no shortage of.gun control groups that I can see.

[malaise]

12. It's almost a business

Candles, cards, teddy bears and never forget the religious parasites seeking cash and membership.
None will address the simple truth - thou shall not kill. It is tedious - almost packaged programing.