I've always heard that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, what about necessity being the mother of laws? When it becomes evident that a society lacks the adequate means to prevent violent crimes from occurring and adequately chastising those committing violent crimes, certain steps must be taken.

Here is a little story. One day, 13-year-old Tiffany Moore is sitting on a mailbox, chatting with her friends when suddenly, she falls to the ground, shot three times by a passing motorist. Later that day she dies. It turns out that she was mistaken for someone else. The assailant is another teenager with illegally purchased handguns. What probably happens to him? Oh, a few years in jail, then parole, then probation, then he's right back on the streets, scot-free. And what happens to Tiffany Moore? Oh, she's been through a funeral , her's. She's been through a burial ,hers. Now she lays in the cold, uninviting ground, wondering where she went wrong, wondering what she could have done to prevent this tragedy. The answers? Nowhere! Nothing! She had no control over this. Now she has no control over her own life, or lack thereof. Unfortunately, although I would like to call this a nice little story, with a happy ending, I can't. It isn't a tale; it doesn't have an ending. It's a true story; something which actually happens everyday in America.

Something must be done. How brilliant. How observant. Perhaps these politicians would care to suggest a solution? "Oh, letAs ban certain guns," says one. "No, let's just make the waiting period longer," says another. What happens? Nothing! Oh, excuse me , foreign assault rifles have been banned. Wow. Yeah. Break out that champagne. At least our deaths will benefit domestic gun makers, and not foreign ones. Banning certain guns, making it harder to buy guns, these aren't solutions! You can be killed just as easily by a .22 as you can with a.357!

What we need is a twofold solution. First, we need stricter enforcement. Check on gun dealers , make sure they go through the background checks on potential customers. Make sure they wait the mandatory two week waiting period.

But this is only one part. There should be a stronger deterrent. We need the death penalty back. Not just for murderers of police officers; there is nothing special which puts cops in their own category. We need the death penalty for all murderers. Period. No if-and-or-buts about it. No plea bargaining. Make it really simple. So simple, in fact, that we all understand. If you go out and murder someone, there'll be a nice little surprise waiting for you when you get caught. Only it won't be a surprise. You'll know about it. Maybe then you won't do it. Maybe the fear of your own death will restrain you from causing someone else's. It's sort of an eye-for-an-eye, a tooth-for-a-tooth.

The one regret I have is that these criminals won't feel the pain which they caused their victims. With the death penalty, murderers wonder what they could have done to prevent their own death, they'll know. When they wonder where they went wrong, they'll know , something which their victims never did know, and something they never will.n

Editor's note: Do you agree? Write what you think about re-instating the death penalty.