Since Saturday’s shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., the New York Times has published two staff editorials on the incident with an emphasis on addressing gun control.
An editorial published the day following the massacre uses Jared Loughner, the reportedly delusional 22-year-old accused of shooting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killing six, as an example of why the state of Arizona should enforce “sensible controls on its instruments.”
“With easy and legal access to semiautomatic weapons like the one used in the parking lot, those already teetering on the edge of sanity can turn a threat into a nightmare,” the article states.
The editorial goes on to say that Arizona gun laws are among the most lenient in the country and that perhaps the tragedy will encourage the state to make some serious adjustments.
An editorial published Monday states that lawmakers can put an end to similar incidents like the Tucson shooting in the future by standing up to the National Rifle Association and its allies because they “have made the country a far more dangerous place.”
The editorial claims that the gun lobby “reflexively opposes even mild, sensible restrictions — but if there is any reason left in this debate, the latest mass shooting should force a retreat.”
In the final sentence, the editorial advises lawmakers to be cautious of “the real public menace,” who is the “well-dressed gun lobbyist hanging out just outside their chamber door.”