Tully: We need leaders, not quitters, on gun violence

There is one fundamental question we need to ask about the epidemic of gun violence that has produced, and that will continue to produce, a daily stream of tragedy and heartbreak across this country.

Can we do better?

That’s it. That’s the question. That’s where we need to start. Let’s put aside all of our divisions and disputes for a moment and ask that question.

Can we do better?

It is an essential question because the answer will tell us whether we are up to the challenge of trying to do better. It will tell us whether we are willing to explore the vast middle ground on this issue, and whether we can come together to both encourage and demand action.

Unfortunately, it is not clear what our collective answer would be. Many of the statements by leading politicians and special interest group advocates, as well as emails I receive with regularity, make it seem as if we need to resign ourselves to the reality that, no, we cannot do better. Stuff happens, and that’s the way it is.

So in the wake of yet more mass shootings around the country, and amid a relentless stream of individual shootings here, let’s put aside debate-killing questions about whether every act of gun violence can be stopped, or whether this mass shooting or that mass shooting could have been prevented by this or that law.

Let’s accept the reality that there is not a perfect response and that the issue is riddled with complexities, and then let’s ask that one basic question. Can we do better? Not perfect, just better. If the answer is yes, then let’s at least try.

Can the city of Indianapolis do better than suffering through 105 criminal homicides, the vast majority of which involved guns, through the first nine months of the year? Can the nation do better than not responding in any meaningful way to mass shootings that have claimed young adults at college campuses, young children at an elementary school, parishioners at a church, soldiers at military bases and so many other victims at so many other locations that it’s hard to keep them all straight?

Can we do better? Do we believe in our country’s abilities enough to think that there is a better path forward? Do we believe we are strong enough to balance gun rights with strategies aimed at reducing the level of gun violence that has become a routine way of life?

The answer seems obvious. Yes, the greatest country in the history of the world can do better than this. A country with our resources, our brainpower and our belief in innovation and grit can do better. A country that has led fights against diseases and so many other ills can take on this fight, too.

It can at least try.

Anyone who has followed the presidential debate in recent months has heard some ambitious promises about the immense challenges that can be overcome. To watch the Republican presidential debates you’d think negotiating with Iran was child’s play, pushing around Vladimir Putin would be a breeze and boosting an economy impacted by global issues was simple. Moreover, in the words of Donald Trump, rounding up more than 11 million people and sending them back to their countries of birth is as easy as building a wall.

When it comes to so many issues, our leaders and our candidates seem to think  just about anything is possible. America can be exceptional and uniquely strong, they tell us, and it can do what it wants. It can put global adversaries in their places and fix problems that have festered for decades.

But when it comes to gun violence resignation creeps in. When asked how to address this American epidemic, so many of our politicians turn into quitters. Can you imagine what would happen if a president reacted so meekly to an act of terrorism or to a recession?

Marco Rubio was quoted last week saying, “There is just no evidence that these gun laws would prevent these shootings,” as if we should just give up. Jeb Bush’s “stuff happens” comment wasn’t as cold as some have suggested, but it was lacking in the sort of fight you want to see in a leader. Others said we shouldn’t rush to make laws in the wake of gun violence, as if this nation isn’t constantly in the wake of such violence.

How lucky we are that there wasn’t a similar lack of fight in those who have waged battles against breast cancer and terrorism, autism and polio and unsafe cars and workplace dangers.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know what the solution is. But I do believe that zeroing in on the problem and making the fight against it a local, state and national priority would bring forward a lot of smart ideas. I believe accepting the current situation goes counter to our nation’s values and history. I believe everything should be on the table. I believe there is room for improvement.

Sure, there are quick steps that could be taken: Treating private sales and gun show purchases the same as those at gun stores; more fiercely attacking the illegal sale and possession of guns; increasing spending on mental health services; and eliminating a ridiculous, NRA-backed ban on federal research into the issue of gun violence.

Those are the easy steps. But our problems go much deeper and, unfortunately, there isn’t a quick fix. That doesn’t mean we should give up.

Last week, I drove by 39th Street and Graceland Avenue, where a 10-year-old boy was shot and killed recently. The block was quiet, and the only indication of the recent tragedy was a pile of stuffed animals that had been placed in the front yard of the home where the boy died. The scene was heartbreaking and infuriating.

As I drove away from the scene I had one thought: We can do better.

You can reach me at matthew.tully@indystar.com or at Twitter.com/matthewltully.