Gun violence continues to cause horrific tragedies in America. The latest incident, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on Dec. 14, illustrates how the occurrence of such a terrible tragedy can spread heartbreak throughout the nation. 

Whose children will not feel frightened about going to school, after learning of this disaster? Which children will not have occasional nightmares now? Something needs to change, to reduce the likelihood of more of these incidents.

In Connecticut, a 20-year-old troubled youth killed 20 young children and five members of the school staff, after killing his mother with her own guns. It was a planned and deliberate school shooting. Such incidents may well continue nationwide, even though very few school communities have been touched by gun shooting or killings in the past. Yet, few schools have developed safety practices to prevent such occurrences.

Disasters can happen anywhere. On the same Dec. 14, at a school in China, 20 young students were stabbed by a knife-wielding man, but fortunately the students were only injured, not killed. Because he used a knife instead of an assault gun, he was able to be stopped before people died. 

Across the globe, people have been attacked with guns or knives, by angry or mentally disturbed persons. The NRA is right in saying that guns don’t kill, people do. But it is wrong in denying that more deaths occur when the attacker has assault type weapons. What we need right now is reasonable discussion and reasonable compromise.

Gun ownership is a civil liberty protected by, and enshrined in, the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution. It guarantees all citizens the right to bear arms in America. Gun owners feel strongly about this right, and worry that efforts to limit assault weapons could go too far in limiting gun rights. Many gun owners oppose a possible executive order by the administration banning assault weapons, fearing it could be a step toward taking away a gun owner’s legal gun rights. Nevertheless, Congress has passed such a bill in the past and may do it again.

The National Rifle Association of America represents 4.3 million gun owners in America. It has fought well to protect the right of citizens to own guns. The NRA supports gun rights across the board, and wants absolutely no restrictions. They want law-abiding citizens armed against drug dealers and other felons with guns. The NRA claims gun controls don’t work. This week, the NRA said they would fight any new gun restrictions introduced in Congress.

Many American gun owners say, “Don’t let the government take away my guns.” In fact, fear of a government crackdown is leading to increased gun sales right now, in much of the nation. Even though it is difficult to get a gun permit and license to carry a gun on you, in many cities, most Americans support their right to keep guns in their homes for family protection.

There are about 6,000 federal gun law violation arrests each year in America. After the Newtown elementary school massacre, a ground swell of emotions by America’s citizens poured out for the grieving families. A poll that followed showed a slight majority of people interviewed now were in favor of some sort of gun restrictions, particularly those involving assault weapons.

About a week ago, Vice President Joe Biden was appointed by President Obama to lead a task force to consider reforms similar to those imposed during President Clinton’s term in office, to re-instate bans on the rapid fire, semi-automatic “assault weapons,” a prior law that expired in 2004. The law worked before and the ban could work again to protect our citizens and their children.

Both the general public and the NRA support background checks for all gun purchases. One immediate way to improve safety is to be sure such checks are enforced, and that loopholes for guns bought at gun shows are closed. A July 2012 CNN poll indicated that 96 percent of Americans support requiring background checks for gun purchasers. 

We need to get rid of the danger of guns to our citizens, by passing a restrictive gun law on selling or using semi-automatic guns and large capacity magazine clips, to assure our children will be safer in schools in the future.

Our administration and the NRA should get together and collaborate on passing gun laws that will improve our safety. We need restrictive gun laws on military assault weapons and oversized magazines, and we need them now. 

— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.