Gun control discussions erupt amidst Belcher’s suicide

Jovan Belcher was a 25-year-old young man, living out what many consider a dream – to be a player in the NFL.

That dream ended last week, when Belcher took it upon himself to end his own life, as well as the life of his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins.

This sent emotions flying around the the National Football League, and social networking and other media outlets into a frenzy. Why did he commit such a selfish act? Why take his girlfriend’s life away and orphanize their three-month-old baby girl? What triggered this unfortunate and tragic incident? We can only speculate.

Reports are due soon discussing the severity of head injuries in football players, which has been a focal point for some time now, even more so since the suicide of Junior Seau this past May. Some may say alcohol played a role, or Belcher’s mental state (which seems to be most evident) might have contributed.

Everyone involved with the NFL has taken a stance after this murder-suicide took place. In one of the better-known cases, Bob Costas of NBC Sports took the national stage last Sunday for his weekly 90-second monologue during halftime of the Sunday Night Football game.

Instead of giving a brief overview of the weekends high’s and low’s throughout the league, Costas addressed the Belcher incident. Costas is one of the most well-respected, acclaimed and knowledgable journalists in the industry.

He later explained that he was only trying to emphasize the phrase, “This really puts things into perspective,” which has become a cliché when it comes to tragedies in sports. Costas believes these incidents aren’t what should put things in perspective for fans and viewers alike, because, as he put it, “if that was true, we wouldn’t have that perspective adjusted every time the next tragedy occurs.”

He has spent the past week taking the heat and explaining himself, so I won’t criticize or praise his opinions and the statement he made, considering it was a response to a column written by sportswriter Jason Whitlock. However, Whitlock, a former Kansas City Star newspaper columnist, took it upon himself to rationalize the events that took place.

He first claimed the Chiefs game shouldn’t have been played that day, then brought the hotly debated gun control issue into his article. Despite his right to have any opinion and voice that opinion, Whitlock turned this into a political discussion as soon as he opened that door.

“Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead,” Whitlock wrote. He also referred to society as “numb” when the topic of gun violence and murder is raised. I feel as though Whitlock is just using this instance as his own personal way to express a specific view of gun control, which isn’t right.

Be that as it may, the writer is allowed to express his opinions, as am I. In the end, an act this reckless seems more likely caused by emotional distress and not gun-related violence. What might be most haunting is whatever led Belcher to drive to the team facility at Arrowhead Stadium and kill himself less than a quarter-mile from the Chiefs’ home field – in front of his head coach, Romeo Crennel, General Manager Scott Pioli and other team personell.

Belcher’s diminished emotional stability, along with his volatile state of mind, caused this, not a weapon he possessed due to lack of gun control. Triggers don’t pull themselves.