In the wake of a series of mass shootings like the one that took place in Newtown, Conn., in December, the topic of gun rights and gun control has been one of 2013’s most pressing issues. With the recent...

Forgive me if this column is a bit disorganized. I didn’t sleep much before I wrote it. The news coming out of Massachusetts late Thursday night and early Friday morning was at once riveting and heartbreaking,...