I do not think it means what you think it means

The Miami Herald tells us that "guns are the root cause" of the increased local murder rate. "Root cause?" That sounds like some kind of fancy scientific term; they must've done a study or something'. Well, either that or it's true because some police chief says so:

Chief Arthur Dawsey of Miami-Dade Corrections declared, ``We've got to get guns off the streets. We adults are the ones who have them in our homes or under the seats of our cars. Children aren't buying them. They're getting them from us.'' Former Miami Police Chief Don Warshaw also identifies guns as the root cause of this crime wave. 'There is `crime,' and there is 'violent crime with guns,' '' Warshaw told me in an e-mail. 'Two different problems with two different solutions. This outbreak is a `gun' problem, and it was bound to happen. Needs a specialized solution.''

Hmm... Where have I heard a term like that before? Believe it or not, no supporting information is given to shore up the "personal supposition" that guns are indeed the "root cause". We do have several other issues discussed in relation to the troubled youth, but none of them get their own "root cause" title.

All the victims are young and black, and so are the perpetrators. The shooters and victims are nearly all in their teens and 20s

Maybe we should ban gun ownership among that demographic. No? That would be discriminatory? It wouldn't solve the problem? No kidding, but it makes even less sense to say that banning guns would help.

These Haitian gang members may be beyond redemption, but thousands of other young black kids are not. The advice they got at the youth summit? Find a wise mentor if your parents aren't up to it or available. Stay in school and find a teacher or counselor who will help. Don't resort to violence because a police record can never be erased. If someone threatens you with violence, don't be afraid to ask police or another authority figure for help.

And then there was the issue of self-esteem, perhaps the most important one. Several kids asked about the widespread use of the ''N'' word by their black peers. ''We have to stop demeaning ourselves because it allows others to demean us.''

Wait a minute, I thought guns were the problem! Are you saying that maybe, just maybe, culture, upbringing, and personal choice have something to do with the problem? If so, guns can't be the root problem. If not, why are you talking about it?