Gun culture is not what was intended

Jerry Bitts, Las Vegas

Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 | 2:01 a.m.

A week after the murder of 20 grade-school kids and six of their teachers and administrators, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said the only way to stop bad guys with guns in our schools is with good guys with guns. LaPierre says nothing about banning assault weapons and large clips, such as those used at Sandy Hook Elementary School, so I assume the proposed new “rental cop” would need his own machine gun as an “equalizer.” That would be a lot of bullets flying around, but at least the NRA chief did not suggest arming the teachers and students, too.

The gun folks say they are horrified by the slaughter at Sandy Hook, but the availability of military weapons and their occasional misuse is just the price we pay for freedom. They argue that the Second Amendment makes us all part of a militia to maintain our freedom from the tyranny of “big governments,” both foreign and domestic.

If I understand their logic correctly, I should be able to buy a few surface-to-air missiles. After all, “big governments” have jet fighters and bombers, you know! Of course, some nut might use his missiles to shoot down a few of our airliners, and I’d be horrified by it, but that shouldn’t keep responsible people from owning missiles. It is just a regrettable price we pay for our freedom.

It is not clear to me that the gun lovers are interpreting the Second Amendment as it was intended. What is clear is that our easy access to guns has put America under siege from its own citizens.