Costas and Gun Control

Bob Costas on Sunday Night Football argued tonight for gun control: "If Javan Belcher did not own a gun, he and his girlfriend would still be alive."   There are only two problems here,  One, it's a counter-factual claim one could never hope to support, unless one really knew Javan Belcher and of what he was capable. Two, gun policy, as with every other governmental policy, should not be made on the basis of one tragedy.  We can point to this case where had the gun been absent, the death might not have occurred.  But we can also point to cases where, if a victim had had a gun, he might be alive today.  In sum, Costas' comments are a cheap way of exploiting a tragedy.