Deafening Silence

The infamous Washington sniper — who has killed nine people by now and wounded two others — has done little to trigger a U.S. debate on more effective gun control measures.

...In light of the Bush Administration's strong effort to go after Saddam Hussein, many people around the world are confused about one question: Why is the United States so focused on weapons of mass destruction — if its politicians do not even have the willpower and determination to go about the business of protecting the citizens in its own capital?

...It therefore doesn’t do for the U.S. government to aggressively pursue regime change in Iraq, all the while ignoring — and even indirectly promoting — the global scourge of small arms violence. Especially when the effects of small arms violence can be seen on the home front — as the incidents in the Washington-area make plain.

It is shameful enough that the U.S. government isn’t doing more to protect its own citizens from gun violence. It’s even worse when U.S. policies contribute to a problem of global dimensions.

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