Four dead, three troopers hurt

A protester at Wayne LaPierre's press conference Friday injects a little truth into the proceedings.

A protester at Wayne LaPierre’s press conference Friday injects a little truth into the proceedings.

It’s what you call irony.

National Rifle Association lobbyist Wayne LaPierre was still talking, telling us we need more, not fewer guns, that armed teachers are the solution to mass shootings in schools, as a man walked up and down a street just outside of Altoona, Pa., shooting people, killing four, according to early reports.

Among the injured are three —armed — state troopers. These are people whose job it is to stop people with guns and he shot three of them. We don’t know yet whether any of the dead are troopers.

It seems to me that something is trying to tell us that LaPierre and his ilk are full of shit. More guns is not the solution to gun violence.

Do we put guns on school buses next? Do we arm crossing guards? Remember, this latest shooting was a man walking up and down the street.

Where does the arming cease? Do we provide Sunday school teachers with an arsenal, just in case?

I’m tired of the killing, aren’t you?

I don’t think we should spend another moment listening to the NRA. I don’t even care of you’re a responsible gun owner who loves target shooting and hunting. If you believe more guns will stem the violence, you are wrong. Period.

I have tried to respect other opinions because I have a lot of friends who are responsible gun owners, but we need to control guns. We need to stand up to the bullies in the NRA and tell them where they can put their guns and ammo.

I have listened to the “other side” of the gun debate and I have reached the conclusion that they no longer deserve our time and respect. The NRA represents gun manufacturers, not gun owners. I don’t even care of we repeal the damned Second Amendment. Our gun “laws” now have nothing to do with the founders’ intentions anyway.

We have the Second Amendment because George Washington didn’t believe we needed a standing army; that well-regulated militias would suffice. It wasn’t meant for every person to have an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. That was the totally twisted interpretation by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

As my husband says, “Piss on your Second Amendment rights! What about the rights of innocent people to live their lives?”

It’s time to regulate guns. It’s well past time, actually.

To those who disagree that increased regulation will help stem the tide of violence, with all due respect, piss off. I’m tired of listening to it as people die by the tens of thousands in this country.

 

2 comments

  1. keith says:

    With respect, I most heartily disagree with quite a few of your statements.

    First, we have a 2nd amendment in order that we can adequately defend ourselves from a military coup – something the founders were very much afraid of. During the Revolution, the British confiscated all “sophisticated” weapons – those that were war-worthy – leaving the nation with simple birding guns. Although it’s probably a remote chance that we would ever be staring down the barrel of a tank operated by our own army, it still remains a very real probability and is something millions of people around the world have been surprised with.

    I certainly do agree that the NRA has lost it’s mind as far as arming teachers and others. It seems silly to think that an armed “good guy” with a gun is going to SAFELY take out a “bad guy”. However, placing even more limitations on firearms is NOT going to give us the safety you seem to think it will. On the same day as the shootings in Sandy Hook, a news item appeared which didn’t seem to make it to the front pages here in this country. A man stood in front of a school in China and slashed 22 kids with a knife before he was apprehended. China has a zero tolerance gun control law.

    Obviously, a person who has the intent to kill and injure will do so with a gun if they have access, or by some other means. This means that no matter how strict we make our own gun control laws, people will still murder as efficiently as possible.

    I disagree that it’s time to regulate guns. It’s my belief that our own society is what needs to be fixed. This is something that hasn’t been addressed properly – perhaps because it calls into question our methods and way of life across the board. But, as the incident in China would suggest (and apparently, this wasn’t the first attack of it’s kind), it seems to be connected with the industrialization process.

    With kindest regards…

  2. Craig Allison says:

    An excellent summation of my own beliefs on the subject, especially the comments on the seemingly sacrosanct 2nd amendment.Something’s got to give.

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