Opinion: Hofstra debate must address illegal guns – We’ve heard a lot from the candidates seeking to lead our nation on everything from budget deficits to Benghazi. But on the most critical public safety concern facing our country, their lips have been sealed. With less than a month remaining in the race for the White House, President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney still haven’t said how they plan to fight gun violence in America. Instead, the two men seeking the highest office in the land have largely skirted the issue — despite the fact that 48,000 Americans will be murdered with a gun in the next president’s term.