The debate we need on school shootings

We disagree with politicians who reacted to the horrific school shooting in Florida by pleading “now is not the time” for a debate on gun laws. A debate on gun control and all policies that could help prevent such a traumatizing event from happening again is welcome.

But it needs to be a real debate, and such a thing has been hard to come by. There are clashing values and competing rights contending here, so any debate will unavoidably include anger. But most of the back-and-forth since last week has failed to reach the point of actual disagreement. Instead, we’ve seen people talking past one another.