Balance of Power

    "At the moment she's on a pedestal," Campton opined. "We can't attack her directly—at least right now." For another moment, he studied her, and then looked up at Dane. "Ever wonder what their story is—her and Kilcannon, the way she tried to get to him after he was shot. Was that just dogged journalism? Their whole romance popped up real quick."

    If I could bring my mother back, Lara was saying, and the man who shot her, then I'd ask her to choose between punishing her own murderer, or saving other lives by changing the laws which allowed this man to buy this kind of weapon.

    I know what my mother would say: We can fill our jails and cemeteries, or we can try to stop the violence . . .

    "Too quick," Dane answered simply.

* * *

    Twenty-five minutes to go, Kerry thought. So far Lara had maintained her composure.

    How, Cathie Civitch asked, is the President coping with this tragedy?

    I think he's tried to concentrate on me, rather than himself. Lara's voice became regretful, quiet. I haven't been much help to him, even though I know how terrible he feels.

    Civitch leaned forward, hands clasped together. You have a new marriage, a terrible loss, John Bowden's letter blaming your husband for his actions.

That would test the strongest marriage.

    Lara drew a breath. There are certain things, Cathie, that I have to accept. One is that this man has forever redefined my life. But I will not let him redefine my relationship to the person I love most . . .

    Abruptly, Lara stopped, as if hearing herself. You know, she said softly, I don't think I've ever told him that. But I've promised it to myself.

    Watching, Kerry felt more grateful for this moment than he ever could have imagined. Perhaps, he allowed himself to hope, Lara might begin rethinking her reservations about starting a family of their own.

    Today, Cathie Civitch said, is your mother's birthday.

    Tears welled in Lara's eyes. Yes.

    Kerry had not known.

* * *

Silent, Chad and Allie Palmer sat in front of their television.

    How, Civitch was asking Lara, do you respond to those who say the cause of violence is not guns, but a culture which uses violence as entertainment?

    "For Middle America," Palmer observed, "this is the one she's got to answer. No matter what kind of shape she's in."

    Pausing, Lara regained her footing. I agree that guns are not the only

cause of violence. What guns do is make violence lethal.

    If you compare us to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, you see many similarities. Our histories include the conquest of a frontier, and the violent displacement of indigenous people. Our current rates of violent crime are comparable. But our murder rate is exponentially higher, because our murderers use guns. That's why in Japan, which hardly lacks for violent entertainment, a year can go by without anyone under eighteen dying from gun violence.

    Certainly, we need to tell the entertainment industry to stop shoving violence down our throats in movies, television, video games, and popular music. But we also need to concern ourselves more deeply with what our children watch and hear, and to tell them that violence is no answer . . .