The difference between the debates about guns in the 1990’s and now is the increased criticism of the leadership of the NRA and their complete resistance to all discussion about any gun control. Here’s a recent poll by the Pew Research Center which shows a clear majority of Americans favor background checks for all gun sales.
Wayne LaPierre just finished a press conference calling for armed guards in every school. If you didn’t see it live, you can watch here. 
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shootings, there’s been plenty of discussion about guns. Violent video games and the role of Hollywood have also been mentioned as causes, with calls for restricting the amount of sex and violence. My radar immediately pops up whenever I hear someone going down the censorship path- who would make those decisions and where does it end? Frankly, I find Victoria Secret ads tasteless for their blatant sexual messages but I wouldn’t call for outlawing them. This will cause some readers to roll their eyes but I think the lack of diversity is a big reason why this country has a “culture of violence”. The majority of the video game developers are young males, the powerful players in Hollywood are men, and we’re still a far way from true representation in Congress. From my own experiences in the animation industry and the editorial cartooning profession I can tell you the lack of women and minority groups does color what is created and commented on.
