How much longer?

How much longer until we do something about gun violence?

How much longer until we pay attention to the United States' handgun homicide rate, and how it is 50 times South Korea's, 100 times Great Britain's, and 150 times Japan's? How much longer until we acknowledge the influence of those countries' strict gun control? How much longer until we are willing to concede that the Second Amendment is defective?

How much longer until we realize that saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is simply ignorance of the difference between intent and enablement? How much longer until we admit that guns are devastatingly more effective at killing people than other methods? How much longer until we figure out that things designed specifically to kill people should be illegal?

How much longer until we recognize that the idea that guns are for self-defense is complete bullshit? How much longer until we remember that guns don't shield you, they kill others? How much longer until we rebut the idiotic notion that more guns would help, not hurt?

How much longer until we stop encouraging murderers? How much longer until we understand that by starting news reports with flashing sirens, showing pictures of the killer, having 24-7 coverage,  making the body count the lead story, and making the killer an "antihero" we can expect to see a repeat of the tragedy within a week?

How much longer until we actually provide proper mental health care, instead of insisting sick people have to take care of themselves? How much longer until we treat the mentally ill as human beings? How much longer until we can get psychiatric help easier than buying an assault rifle?

How much longer do we need to let people die before we can get it through our head? 

Or—if we continue to act like every tragedy is unavoidable,

How much longer until the next one?