Violence in America: Guns

Abstract

To the Editor. —In JAMA 's June 10,1992, issue, Mr Marwick 1 adequately points out the relationship(s) between illicit drugs and violence. He also makes a credible connection between those involved in drug trafficking and a lost sense of the value of life. I find both of these observations believable and sad, but there remains another more insidious contributing factor to the devaluation of human life that is mentioned nowhere in the June 10 issue's wide analysis of the problem of American violence; violence is often condoned by the most legitimate and upright authority, our government. All of the antagonists that contribute to violence mentioned in JAMA have one thing in common: some degree of illicitness or illogic. It is as though all assailants are led to violence because they have fallen prey to some seedy power. When violence is performed by powers of authority, it carries a much heavier