A Sad Day

As most of you know, a gunman in West Virginia killed thirty two people, and then he was killed. I even yet to hear the details. But I know it will raise the hackles of the gun control crowd, and the gun lobby, which seems to want to arm everybody.

Mind you, I'm all for the Second Amendment. I'm also for mandatory service right out of high school, for two years in the state national guard unit, and then a third year in the Peace Corps. After that third year, you can opt to keep your military issued long rifle and side arm. Then you are in the reserves automatically, fulfilling both aspects of the Second Amendment. But you are also given the rest of your education free. All the way through PhD if you can do it, or want to.

But what would be wrong with closing the loopholes that make it possible to buy guns at shows without any checking of anything? Here in Washington, we had a boyfriend with a restraining order shoot his girl friend to death. Once the restraining order was filed, there should have been a gun owner flag that went up, and alerted authorities to a possibly higher degree of danger from this fellow.

it's too late for that.

So what would be wrong with even a month long waiting period for a weapon purchase? criminal background, mental health, current legal standing? It might even serve as a cooling off period. The gun would still be purchased, and what's the hurry in a gun purchase anyway? And that is pretty much what gun control is about anyway. The fringe that likes folk to think it means gun confiscation are lying. Yea, a world without any weapons of any kind would be great. But we aren't there yet. And our Constitution allows for gun ownership, albeit relatively. So what really is the argument from the gun lobby?

If the cost of unfettered gun ownership is what our country experienced today, than the cost is too high.