Background checks? Sure, put them in place. Bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines? Fine. Just don't expect any of these things to make a difference in the nation's gun violence, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post. Parker, a gun owner, says she is "eager to do whatever will make a difference," but seems resigned to the fact that crazy people will get their hands on guns no matter what we do.
Consider that Adam Lanza's mother legally bought the weapons he used and even taught him how to shoot. What she didn't do is address his mental illness or keep the guns safely locked away. "Forcing law-abiding gun owners to submit to new regulations will not prevent another Newtown or Aurora or Columbine," writes Parker. "This is not to say we should do nothing. But, lest we delude ourselves, whatever we do we will do because it makes us feel better. Perhaps that is enough." Click for Parker's full column. (More gun control stories.)