Jason Belcher Murder-Suicide, Bob Costas, & Gun Control

I’m not sure if I totally agree with Bob Costas on last night’s now “controversial” halftime commentary on the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher’s murder-suicide. However, I would say that he has a point when speaking to the culture of violence fostered by gun ownership or gun possession. Unfortunately, there are many who disagree, and I see this as part of the problem. So much so that there’s no cry for gun control when the principal parties involved in any violent crime like Jovan Belcher and Kassandra Perkins are people of color.

Yes, guns don’t kill; and yes, it is people with guns who kill. However, the truth is, gun ownership or possession in some cases are in fact not used as a tool of last resort when it comes to conflict resolution. Like I said in a recent post: Gun violence is as American as hot dogs and apple pie.

Surely a few people will agree:

Now if you say he’s wrong about that, then you’re missing his larger point. But then again, I suspect that somewhere out there there’s someone who will defend the right to own guns even in the wake of yet another domestic violence murder-suicide; or maybe even when another black kid gets shot to death over loud music. But hey, maybe gun control is only a valid concern when white people kill white people, yes? I’m not attempting to be controversial, but how is that for some perspective?