Guns in America - Part 2

With the latest tragedy in Connecticut there will be the usual knee-jerk reactions to pass more gun control laws, lock down our schools, etc, etc.  Let's hope that a more thoughtful and realistic path will be chosen. 

 Let's more effectively enforce the laws that are already on the books.  Let's eliminate the sale of the AKs or AR type of weapons on line, at gun shows, in gun shops, anywhere they are now sold.  These weapons should not be readily available for purchase by the man on the street.  They were designed for the military or law enforcement and those should be the only people to legally own them. 

While I believe in the Second Amendment I also believe that not everyone is capable of owning weapons of mass destruction such as the assault rifles.  Since the shooter in Connecticut did not have a criminal background, legally he could purchase his weapon and that portion of the law could not have protected the innocents in that state.  Only prohibiting the ownership and purchase of such weapons will suffice.

The NRA and other gun lobbyists will try to hide behind the Second Amendment.  The gun manufacturers will cry loss of business; as will gun shops.  I ask them only one question:  "What if this had happened in the school your child, grandchild, niece or nephew attended?"

People kill people and they use many weapons.  A gun is just one but it is one that we can to some extent control access to.  Responsible gun owners should have nothing to fear from more stringent enforcement of existing gun laws.  I do not feel a complete ban on all gun sales will solve the problem nor is it necessary.  But I do feel that we must limit access to assault rifles and look very carefully at how many guns one person or one family feels the need to own. 

A gun for each member of the family is over-kill.  But I feel that if you have a gun in your house, everyone should know the proper way to handle it. 

Nothing will bring back the innocent lives taken in Connecticut or Colorado.  But we must act rationally to make our schools, shopping malls and other public places safer.