Saving us from ourselves

Sandy Hook Elementary.  26 people shot and killed, 20 of which were kindergarten children. Tragic is an understatement in describing this incident. One lone deranged gunman. I won't mention his name because that may in some twisted way validate his motives.

While supposedly the nation mourns this tragic incident, there are those that are apparently eternally grateful for a real life incident in which to hang their anti-gun arguments on. So we have seen the discussion move from poor kindergarten casualties to an unqualified effort to impose even stricter gun control. 

I don't own a gun, never have. Actually had my father attempt to give me an old family heirloom of a gun for Christmas last year and I declined the offer. Not for any philosophical reason but rather I just don't have an interest in them. I don't have an interest in Barbie dolls either and would have declined the offer for one of those as well. 

In spite of  my personal lack of interest I am still a supporter of the right for a person to own a gun. And Barbie dolls as well.  I don't want to hash over the worn out arguments that exist on both sides of the debate as to the effectiveness or lack thereof of making guns illegal. But here is where I do take an interest. Regardless of what the founding fathers intent was when crafting the 2nd Amendment it has generally been accepted for the last 200 plus years that the "right to bear arms" has equated into the right for the general public to own a gun. Whether for sport, security or just as a conversation piece. 

But we have an entire culture of people in our country that have anointed themselves supreme guardians of the public at large. They are intellectually superior to those who might disagree with them and feel compelled to tell those of lessor intellect how they should run their lives. They are convinced that the average American is not capable of managing so much freedom and therefore must be kept in check. 

Incidences such as this one at Sandy Hook are all the proof they need that Americans are not capable of  handling the right to own guns. They are convinced that they must impose their will and save us from ourselves. 

I am convinced that we need saving from these narcissistic morons. 

I don't know that there will ever be any fool-proof approach to avoiding tragedies like Sandy Hook. There is no defense against ignorance. At best we may be able to develop procedures that can minimize the success of a deranged individual, one solution that quickly comes to mind involves a gun. Taking away personal freedoms from law abiding citizens certainly won't provide a solution.