Much as it hurts to admit this, I agree with Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Trent Franks, both of whom followed up the Arizona shooting with trite guns don’t kill people, people kill people statements. Who would know better than Rand Paul, whose hired campaign worker and recognized donor took down and curb-stomped a young girl because he felt threatened by the words on her cardboard poster? She could easily have been killed without a gun in sight (unless the police officers who did not come to her aid were armed).
Rand Paul’s experience also includes close relationships with gun lobbyists, gun club donors who wear his campaign gear, and Tea Party supporters who carry huge, intimidating weapons to political events where they talk about taking out their opponents and exercising second amendment rights and even mark them with crosshairs on maps. His experience far exceeds mine, since I have only touched a gun once in my life and I do my best to stay as far away as I possibly can from people who enjoy them. I bow to his expertise and accept his opinion.
Coming to this agreement should make finding a responsible compromise that we can all live with a breeze. Since guns do not kill people, I suggest we leave guns alone and focus on people. Allow gun companies to make guns, and gun stores to carry them, and gun shows to show them. But take those murderous people out of the equation. Do not allow people to touch or own guns and those evil guns will not be able to kill any more people. In the future, people will have to do their killing (and intimidating and politicking) without guns, thereby making their murders and terrorizing more difficult to execute.
(Stay tuned for my suggestions regarding how the AMA should deal with self-certified ophthalmologists who make psychiatric diagnoses based on “some writings” that may or may not have been penned by suspected non-patients they have not met.)
On a serious note: Thank you, Senator McConnell, for taking the more reasonable approach, and for taking heat from the National Association for Gun Rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment