We write about banning certain types of guns and taking action to confiscate weapons, but we fail to look at much more lethal weapons and issues that are killing people every day.

According to the CDC, 10,228 people were killed by this weapon in 2010. That’s one death every 48 minutes. Of these, 211 were children under 14. Over half of these children knew the killer.

This weapon requires a license and responsible training.

The weapon: a human driver of a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

These killings have declined over the past decade, without banning the weapons. In the same reporting year, there were 11,493 firearm homicides.

Of course we can take all the weapons away from the murderers by revoking their licenses, maybe confiscating their weapons, alcohol or drugs. This won’t stop some insidious other weapons from being used.

More than 1,550 children died from abuse and neglect in 2010, according to the CDC. Sometimes child about is fatal.

All these deaths didn’t happen at the same moment or get national news coverage, but they are still deaths. Their families grieve.

What weapon is really responsible for these tragic deaths?

Bill Flanagan

Apex