The United States has more guns per capita than any other country and more mass murders, like the one two weeks ago in Parkland, Florida.

But NOW, according to the National Rifle Association is NOT the time to talk about that obvious and tragic relationship.  But the NRA never says when would be appropriate. The NRA doesn’t understand that when disasters occur, people talk about them. Humans talk about and react to tragedies when tragedies occur. That is a normal response. We immediately try to comfort those most affected. We think about ways to try to prevent more occurrences of such tragedies. We try to repair damage, emotional and physical.

Now is the very best time to talk about mass murders. Now is when people care most fervently and when politicians are most likely to be held responsible for their inaction on the issue. Now is when the NRA’s role in promoting extreme and irresponsible gun “rights” that result in weekly school murders becomes shamefully evident. If not now, when?

The NRA also accuses those who are talking about guns now of exploiting the tragedy for “political” means.

Somehow a group that raises over $300 million per year and reports affiliations only with Republican organizations, publicly grades politicians for their votes limiting gun safety and donates millions based on those grades to almost exclusively Republican candidates, objects to making a discussion about guns “political.”

While the NRA never explains what they mean by “political,” they use it frequently as an accusation against any group, person or proposal they oppose.  That’s an abuse of logic and of language. Does “political” mean people disagree?  Isn’t that our right in a democracy? Does “political” mean our positions tend to correlate with political party affiliation? Isn’t that part of the reason we have parties – because they represent and support differing beliefs?

Is it political to suggest major social problems require politicians to respond?  Even the suggestions the NRA has proposed involve politicians and officials initiating programs and spending public funds. That means the NRA is being just as political as the people it berates.

The U.S. has more mass murders than any other country because of the excessive availability of guns and assault weapons. And yes, reducing gun deaths will require political action. If talking about solutions such as banning assault weapons is political, let’s keep talking and let’s keep it political.

This is part one in a series of three editorials about gun violence from the ISD Editorial Board.