Jacob Sullum on the Irrational Response to the Isla Vista Massacre
The day after his 20-year-old son, Christopher, was shot down at a deli in Isla Vista, California, Richard Martinez blamed his death on "craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA." Jacob Sullum notes that gun control advocates quickly seized upon Martinez's remarks, using his grief to obscure the illogic of their position.
Sullum says none of the items on the anti-gun lobby's wish list makes sense as a response to the crimes of Elliot Rodger, the 22-year-old college student who murdered Martinez's son and five other people on Friday night. Far from demonstrating the lifesaving potential of gun control, he says, the Isla Vista massacre exposes the false promise of policies that aim to prevent violence by limiting access to weapons.