The headline on the front page of the May 9 print edition read “Why so many mass killings? Families search for answers.” I hope those families didn’t search very long, since we all know the answer: the proliferation of guns, including military-style assault weapons, in our society. This gun proliferation sets us apart from the rest of the world, where mass killings occur on a far less frequent basis. You do your readers a disservice by focusing on questions with simple answers instead of focusing on the various issues (NRA lobbying dollars, Second Amendment misinterpretation, gun-lover intransigence) that have actually created the problem.

Michael Goldner, Portland

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