Tragedy

I am so moved by the events in Connecticut that I feel I must respond.  This blog is normally the reporting of family history and experiences .  As a retired elementary principal who loved his job and the adults and children that I was privileged to work with, I am devastated by sporadic gun violence in our society.    I own two guns and enjoyed hunting until my ankles made it difficult for me to walk.  One is a  12 gauge shotgun designed for hunting upland birds.  It can carry up to 3 shells.  The other is a 22 rifle which carries one shell and is designed for killing varmints, squirrels, rats, etc....

I have never understood  the power needs of one who feels he must own a "people killer".  Guns and ammunition, designed for military and law enforcement, are now available to the public since 2004 and the sales have been astronomical, especially since the election of President Obama.  The yearning for vicarious power and authority, implicit in the design and intention of the assault weapons, has reached fever pitch in some segments of our society.  The secondary result, as demonstrated in Sandy Hook, is that one maladjusted or disgruntled person can access weapons, some which can spend in excess of 100 rounds before reloading and can be fired as fast as one can  move his finger.   That person can enter very vulnerable settings such as shopping malls and schools to inflict incredible carnage.

I applaud Sen Manchin, Democrat from West Virginia who spoke out today for a ban on assault weapons.  Much can be said, but more must be done.  The NRA, right wing talk radio and TV, and extreme elements of the Republican party have defended assault weapon ownership as  a second amendment right.   Yes, I believe in the second amendment but I am a stronger believer in the first commandment.  When one straps on the elements of what he sees as power, then goes out to play god, then, as a society, we must step up and work to change our culture.

Nothing brings more pain than too much pleasure;  nothing more bondage than too much liberty.
 Benjamin Franklin

Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power.  James Madison