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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Valentine’s deaths

In 1929, a day in history known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, seven gangsters were murdered by four rivals of a competing mob. The gun of choice was the Thompson submachine gun, a fully automatic weapon. In 1934, Congress, recognizing law enforcement was outgunned, banned automatic weapons from use by civilians.

On this Valentine’s Day in 2018, seventeen students and teachers died from bullets from an AR-15, a military style weapon of war, designed for killing people. It works well.

The adult response from Congress was the same: Nothing, as they are pawns of the NRA.

The young survivors of the Florida shooting are organizing against lawmakers who refuse to do anything to curb the carnage. They will no longer be collateral damage.

Perhaps the tide is changing.

Allen Roberts

St. John

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