| We're not supposed to talk political solutions to horrible tragedies the day they take place. Too soon, we're told. Well, no, it's not too soon. Today's elementary school massacre in Connecticut comes less than 12 hours after the state Legislature passed a bill liberalizing our concealed weapon carry law. The legislation first came to our attention after the Denver theater massacre. Now, they passed it and less than a day afterwards, someone walked into what under that legislation is no longer a gun-free zone and has killed more than a dozen children. I'm no longer interested in hearing the usual rebuttal to this, which is that keeping this a gun-free zone wouldn't have kept the gunman out, that gun-free zones don't save lives. I'm sick of hearing that, because it feeds a culture that believes that things can be solved with more firearms. Making schools a gun-free zone may not save lives, but allowing people to pack heat in schools, churches and bars won't, either. Instead, after every mass shooting, we instead have to start out hearing nonsense about people's right to carry firearms anyplace they like. Guns don't solve problems. Guns make things dead. In this case, more than a dozen children. How long until we have a sane conversation about firearms in this country? Update! ... Rightwing self-victimization syndrome kicks in. From Joe D.'s Facebook feed. 
Joe's right. I've always found outrage over target symbols to be overwrought. There's a clear distinction between taking aim at someone in the metaphorical sense, and in the real sense, and in politics it's pretty clear which one you're using. What isn't metaphorical is a vote to liberalize gun laws so that people can carry concealed firearms into a school. And, no, in an emergency, a bunch of "trained" civilian pulling guns isn't a help to anyone. |
