Fix gun problem

Re Leonard Pitts’ Jan. 10 column, President’s tears fail to move the cynics: The cynical manipulations that he accuses everyone but the president of making is exactly why so many people are disenchanted with these policies. We have laws on the books that anyone who makes a living selling guns is required to conduct background checks on buyers. Online gun show sales are subject to this law as well. So why not tackle the real issue — mental illness.

Many parents of these mass shooters tried desperately to have the threat that their mentally ill children posed taken seriously. Unfortunately, this never happened. This is the loophole that needs to be closed.

So yes, I’m now cynical about any proposal that purports to fix the problem but that completely ignores the real issue.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Fix gun problem."