Monday, January 10, 2011

Weapons of Mass Destruction

A 22-year-old mixes with a crowd at a public gathering with the local congressional representative.  The true picture of democracy:  an elected official asks her constituents for opinions and conversation.  The young man pulls out a 9-millimeter pistol with a 30-bullet clip, capable of firing multiple bullets in seconds.  In less time than it takes to pull a pin from a hand grenade, six people are dead, 14 injured.

And the discourse over the past two days is about the 'atmosphere of vitriol'.

We should be asking why anyone should legally carry a weapon that can kill six people in a few seconds.  Clearly, rational people would not argue that a hand grenade is a reasonable weapon to carry in public.  Why should an automatic weapon be an exception to that rule?

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