Gun control has failed this country

In the wake of the Aurora theater shootings, it's best to stick to the facts in the debate about gun control: Namely that restricting guns doesn't stop violence

Edward Morrissey

When is the right time to have a debate on public policy after a deadly tragedy? Immediately, later, or never? It often seems to depend on which side believes they can score political points or lose them, and the impulse to speak out usually outstrips the data-gathering process, with embarrassing and long-lasting consequences.

In the case of the shooting in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead on Friday, we saw yet another example of this — and not from bloggers, or from Twitter, but instead from the supposedly responsible media. When the name of the alleged shooter became known, ABC News' Brian Ross went on the air with what he thought was a scoop: A man with the same name from the same town had been an activist in the local Tea Party, Ross said on the air. "Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes," he said, "but it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado."

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Edward Morrissey

Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.