The Sandy Hook Debate

Google the recent Sandy Hook tragedy and the one of the first searches is “Sandy Hook Conspiracy.” Somehow, this heartbreaking event is turning into a polarizing, political frenzy over gun control in the United States. What sparked my attention to this initially was a recent CNN article entitled “Sandy Hook Families to ride AF-1 to DC, Lobby Senate.” The author, Jessica Yellin, goes on to describe how eleven family members of Sandy Hook victims are spending two days in the nations’ capital lobbying senators about the importance of gun control. President Obama will be urging Congress to pass gun safety legislation concurrently. Inherently, politicians on the Right as well as NRA lobbyists and constituents against gun control are vehemently opposed to this legislation. A disturbing YouTube video called “Breaking: Sandy Hook a Conspiracy with Loads of Proof” has about 1.5 million views, confirming that there are many people out there who believe the entire Sandy Hook massacre was staged. I viewed the video myself, which includes images of Sandy Hook parents supposedly “laughing and smiling” days after their first-grade children were killed, along with quote on quote “bogus” responses from the chief medical examiner and misinformed news reporters. The creators of this video even go as far as claiming Emilie Parker, one of the victims, was photo-shopped into all her family photos, and include a photo of her supposedly hugging President Obama days after the Sandy Hook shooting occurred.

            Of course, it’s hard to define who is viewing this video in support of its claims, and who is viewing it merely out of curiosity or disbelief, like I was. I’m not implying that all conservatives believe this conspiracy to be true because it is obviously radical. It’s existence, however, goes to show the enormity of the gun-control argument and the passion that couples this debate. As a Huffington Post article states, “The Connecticut legislation bands the sale of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds and requires a background check for private gun sales, including those at gun shows. It also expands the states’ current assault weapons ban to include more than 100 gun models.” This means that Connecticut now has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. The article continues to discuss that while Obama ad Senate Democrats support tougher gun control laws, Republican Senators such as Marco Rubio and Rand Paul continue to oppose such legislation, as does the powerful lobbyists of the NRA.

            Of course the NRA vehemently opposes the recent laws passed by Connecticut’s legislature. Another Huffington Post article quotes a statement made by the NRA’s CEO, Wayne LaPierre in a recent Fox News interview. His point may be valid to many, “I think the problem with what Connecticut did, is the criminals, the drug dealers, the people that are going to do horror and terror, they aren’t going to cooperate…All you’re doing is making the law books thicker for the law-abiding people.” This remains as the one of the largest debates in Washington—will stricter gun laws equal less violence? I tend to think yes, for the simple fact that many crimes of impulse would not occur if guns were not so available. I realize this a sensitive issue with many implications, but the amount of mass shootings lately certainly calls for some sort of reform.

Sources:

Breaking: Sandy Hook a Conspiracy With Loads of Proof. Dir. LuxtinDev. YouTube. N.p., 13 Jan. 2013. Web.           

Wilkie, Christina. "Connecticut Passes Nation's Strictest Gun Law In Wake of Sandy Hook Massacre." Huffington Post Politics. N.p., 4 Apr. 2013. We

Wilkie, Christina. "NRA Attacks Connecticut 'Sandy Hook Law'" Huffington Post Politics. N.p., 4 Apr. 2013. Web.

Yellin, Jessica. "Sandy Hook Families to Ride AF-1 to DC, Lobby Senate." CNN Politics. N.p., 8 Apr. 2013. Web.