The number of murder victims this year in my beloved city of Philadelphia climbed to 264 over the weekend, keeping the city well above pace to break last year’s mark of 406. In Philly most folks are united in lobbying for stronger gun control laws, but local politicians are essentially powerless since legislators at the state and federal level are beholden to the powerful gun lobby.

Almost 100,000 people in the U.S. have been murdered since September 11, as Bob Herbert explains in an excellent column.

Herbert writes:

No heightening of consciousness has accompanied this slaughter, which had nothing to do with terrorism. The news media and most politicians have hardly bothered to notice.

At the same time that we’re diligently confiscating water and toothpaste from air travelers, we’re handing over guns and bullets by the trainload to yahoos bent on blowing others into eternity in armed robberies, drug-dealing, gang violence, domestic assaults and other criminal acts.

While the nation focuses on combating terrorism, expanding access to health care, and increasing economic growth --all worthy causes --it has ignored the perennial and growing problem of violence in America.

The firearms industry has lobbied so effectively that instituting controls to stop those prone to violence from acquiring guns is taboo for many politicians --and that's ridiculous.

It's time that talking about escalating violence in America was on the national agenda and that we actually do something about it instead of caving to inane interests like letting all Americans shoot Uzis.