Letter: Invitation to a Dialogue: Beyond Gun Control

Connect With Us on Twitter

For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.

In response to the killings in Connecticut ("Looking for America," column, Dec. 15), Gail Collins calls for breaking the silence about gun laws. But the discussion needs to address more than guns and extra bullet capacity.

The spreading pattern of violence grows from many sources, not simply guns. These include television news coverage, video games and movies, as well as family and community dynamics.

Public policy on guns can play a role. But mitigating the devaluation of human life will require a much more powerful civic response. Families, schools, colleges, congregations, businesses, consumer groups and others need to work together to challenge and change the culture of violence, reaching well beyond debates about the Second Amendment.

For instance, parents and teachers can develop early warning strategies; local journalists can spotlight programs that work for disaffected young adults; and young people themselves can organize peer-to-peer anti-bullying and anti-violence campaigns.

We need a broad citizen movement if we are to reweave the social fabric.

HARRY C. BOYTE
Minneapolis, Dec. 18, 2012

The writer is director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg College.

Editors' Note: We invite readers to respond by Thursday for the Sunday Dialogue. We plan to publish responses and Mr. Boyte's rejoinder in the Sunday Review. E-mail: letters@nytimes.com

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Letter: Invitation to a Dialogue: Beyond Gun Control

Dengan url

http://opinimasyarakota.blogspot.com/2012/12/letter-invitation-to-dialogue-beyond.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Letter: Invitation to a Dialogue: Beyond Gun Control

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Letter: Invitation to a Dialogue: Beyond Gun Control

sebagai sumbernya