Possibly it's time for responsible gun owners to consider that the
ability to fire six bullets per second is less precious—even as a
principle, even as an expression of a basic right—than the welfare of
our communities. Would a ban on assault rifles (like the .223
carried by the Newtown shooter) really harm the republic more than the loss of so much human potential? How, exactly?
I'm
a fierce defender of the Bill of Rights. But when the gun lobby invokes
the Second Amendment, citing the wisdom of 18th century landowners
who were writing of muskets and militias, to justify 21st century
military-grade ordnance in the hands of private citizens—that, to me, is
a principle that has been pushed into decadence. It's less about
freedom than fetishism.
At some point, ideology has to give way to humanity.
For God's sake, let it be now.
Robert:
ReplyDeleteOn a happier day, I finished your memoir about Siena, after returning from a fantastic vacation there.
Tonight, with my heart heavy, I read your post. I want to tell you that your words captured my beliefs and feelings concisely. Our forefathers could never ever have begun to imagine a gun that could kill 20 children in seconds.
Please, please, for "God's sake, let it be now."
Susan
Thanks, Susan. I am hopeful. There does seem to be something about the reaction to this latest atrocity that's different -- a sense that we have, as a nation, as a people, finally, at long last had enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping and praying so, anyway.