Blame game: Who is at fault in Kansas City? The man who pulled the trigger.

The bottom line is that the Kansas City Chiefs football player who took his girlfriend's life -- and then his own -- is responsible for the horror that took place this past weekend.

It is not the NRA's stand for gun rights -- as some pundits have attested.

It is not perceived prejudices against black males in society, either -- as others have opined.

It is the fault of the 25-year-old man who pulled the trigger.

So starting there, the story this weekend out of Kansas City is a tragedy that has left a little baby girl without a mom and a dad and many people wondering what went wrong.

Truth is, although we cannot pinpoint exactly what led to this weekend's murder-suicide, we know one thing for sure -- there are more people turning to violence and more tragic ends to life stories.

Some of it is the time. Violence is more a part of the daily dialogue than it was a few decades ago and abuse reports are increasing.

Some of it is the environment. There are plenty of people who are young, without guidance and without maturity in the National Football League and other big time sports. They face big money, new status and do not have the skills to handle that sudden life shift.

And some of it is society. There are fewer and fewer role models for black youths -- and more and more of them are counting on dreams of sports fame or illicit activity as their plan for the future.

We should look at all those possibilities -- as well as the effects of drug use, lack of education and other factors that destroy lives.

And as we do, we should pray for the tiny victim who will bear the scars of this tragedy for the rest of her life.

Published in Editorials on December 5, 2012 10:58 AM