America is now a contradiction in terms when we refer to our society as “civilized” but the number of guns held by private citizens is more than the number of citizens. The question must be asked “why do so many people feel the need to arm themselves?” We know some people will try to justify their weapons by saying that they can be used for sporting/hunting purposes…and, of course, that makes total sense. But when individuals stock weapons of mass destruction we need to draw the line. The Founding Fathers never intended that neighbors might own weapons that could wipe out entire neighborhoods in the hands of an unstable person. Let’s face it…many people have those moments of instability and, if armed with a destructive device, might–on the spur of the moment–use that weapon to kill. The Second Amendment never anticipated such mayhem. Back in the day, colonists faces a number of challenges we don’t see today. So, as Thomas Jefferson once stated, the US Constitution needs a bit of updating–in thought if not in words. By that we mean, allow guns for legitimate purposes but do everything possible to keep guns–especially AK 47’s and AR 15’s–out of the reach of unstable or criminally inclined people. Guns can be held for good reasons but in today’s world too many find their way into the wrong situation with disastrous results. We only need to look at the stats….more than one mass shooting per day so far this year. Sometimes using extreme examples proves a point so let’s try this one. Suppose I buy an army surplus Sherman tank and park it in front of my house but aim it at my neighbor’s house. I tell him that for purposes of realism I’ve loaded a shell into the breach and–to protect my house–I’m aiming it his way. I haven’t broken the Second Amendment (it doesn’t specify what kind of arms) and so I am free to interpret the rules any way I choose (isn’t freedom wonderful?). How would you feel knowing that any number of accidental events could trigger the tank into discharging its payload into your home? And isn’t your answer to that question comparable to the ability of unstable people to own and use weapons of mass destruction any time their addled mind reacts to any kind of stimulus like a bad day at work, road rage, anger at their spouse, a bad grade at school, social media bullying, etc. All these possible “triggers” have been a part of every mass shooting in the last ten years. So the point is: these are realistic comparisons. Gun lobbyists bribe politicians to keep the gun stores profitable–at the expense of our “civilized” society. Almost 100% of gun lobby bribes have been paid to Republican politicians over the last 10+ years. The Party of Law and Order has sponsored the spread of weapons of mass destruction which are the primary tool used in school, supermarket, synagogue and other settings to produce maximum kill rates. Remember that the next time you vote. If you want to change the result you must change the players.
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