Of course it was a "shaming" emotional appeal.
Massive social-science research shows the ineffectiveness of gun control in reducing crime and violence. It is a source of continuous amazement that gun control advocates ignore the results of criminological, historical and econometric studies by reputed scholars.
The formation of public policy must be based on a pragmatic desire to reach achievable results - not hot-button political trends or emotional diatribes.. To reduce the number of violent crimes, we must focus on the source - not the tool that a perpetrator of violence chooses to use illegally in his criminal acts.
As an issue of public policy, anti-gun laws simply do not work to reduce violent crime or keep weapons out of the hands of criminals. When social science and fact do not support the misguided policy position, politicians turn to emotional pleas.
The current laws on the books do need to be enforced stringently so that batterers, felons, straw buyers, smugglers, illegal sellers, etc are brought to justice. However, in our quest for law and order, we cannot trample the rights and civil liberties of our citizens – including those fundamental liberties enumerated in the Second Amendment. Policy makers should address the sources of violent behavior. Fostering conflict resolution, alternatives to violence, economic opportunity, gang resistance, urban development, problem-solving, character building, critical thinking, and improved mental health reporting & treatment will reduce violence.
These are strange times.
