Students at the University of Miami wanted to honor Trayvon Martin on the recent first anniversary of his death. They organized a poetry reading in his memory.
"Never in a thousand years would I believe death will follow me/ Corner me and end the years of my life / What an evil twist on reality."
Several poets talked about how race might have influenced the case. Trayvon Martin was black. George Zimmerman is white and Hispanic. Civil rights leaders suggested that he would have faced criminal charges immediately if the teenager had been white. Mr. Zimmerman was eventually charged with second degree murder. His trial is planned for June.
In January of 2011, a young man killed six people and wounded 13 others in Arizona. The wounded included Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She survived a bullet to her head, but the severe injuries prevented her from seeking another term. In January the former representative spoke at congressional hearings on gun control.
"Speaking is difficult, but I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children."
Gabby Giffords was talking about the attack that has probably most focused the nation's attention on gun violence. That is, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A 20-year-old man, armed with his mother's guns, killed his mother, then went to the school and opened fire on the children. The violence ended when he killed himself as police rushed to the school.
Since the Sandy Hook shootings, several groups have suggested measures to reduce gun violence. Some activists are pushing for a ban on certain kinds of guns, such as the military-style assault rifles used at Sandy Hook and in other mass shootings. Activists also want to ban ammunition magazines that hold a large number of bullets. They argue that ordinary citizens do not need these kinds of weapons, even for hunting animals or for their own safety.
Yet gun rights advocates say guns are not the problem.
"A gun is a tool. The problem is the criminal. Criminals operate outside the system."
Wayne LaPierre is a top official at the National Rifle Association. He has said he will not support any of the proposed limits on guns. Instead, Mr. LaPierre has called for more guns, especially in schools, for self-defense.
Gary Ward is a gun rights advocate.
"If there was one teacher or one principal armed that could have come in and ended the violence with one shot—with one shot could have saved dozens of children."
Erich Pratt with the group Gun Owners of America agrees. He says more armed citizens would help prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mr. Pratt says if a gunman enters a building, no one has time to wait for police to come.
"If I had a kid in that school, I would want an adult, a good person with a gun. I would want them to take care of the situation if they could."
Bob Krupicka is a lawmaker from Virginia. In his state, in 2007, a 23-year-old student with a history of mental illness killed 32 people at Virginia Tech, then killed himself.
"I think instead of arming our teachers with guns, we should be arming our teachers with tools to identify mental health issues in their school community."
After the Sandy Hook school shootings, a coalition of mental health experts wrote to President Obama and to Congress. They asked the elected officials for immediate health policy reforms and new protections against acts of violence. They also called on Congress to expand mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.
But New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer says any solution to gun violence has to include some measures against guns.
"Trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without talking about cigarettes."
However, Republican Se nator John Barrasso from Wyoming says he is not sure that limiting access to guns is the right answer. He says he does not expect Congress to pass gun control legislation, despite all the recent attention on gun violence.