New York Times urges gun control in first front-page editorial in over 90 years

The New York Times has published an editorial on its front page for the first time since 1920, using the rare, prominent placement to urge gun control in the wake of the latest mass shooting in the United States. Titled “End the Gun Epidemic in America,” it lashes out at politicians and calls for certain types of weapons and ammunition to be outlawed for private citizens. "It is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed specifically to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency,“ reads the editorial.

It is past time to stop talking about halting the spread of firearms, and instead to reduce their number drastically - eliminating some large categories of weapons and ammunition.

New York Times editorial

Its publication late Friday online and on page A1 of Saturday’s print copy of the prestigious newspaper, comes just days after a couple went on a gun rampage in California, killing 14 people and wounding 21 others. The carnage represents the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since a 2012 Connecticut school massacre and is being investigated as an "act of terrorism,” according to the FBI. The Times said it was “right and proper” for authorities to probe whether the killers were connected to international terrorism. But, it added, “the attention and anger of Americans should also be directed at the elected leaders whose job is to keep us safe but who place a higher premium on the money and political power of an industry dedicated to profiting from the unfettered spread of ever more powerful firearms.”

Even in this digital age, the front page remains an incredibly strong and powerful way to surface issues that demand attention. And, what issue is more important than our nation’s failure to protect its citizens?

The paper’s publisher, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr

Americas new york times editorial