The Second Amendment has been the ongoing excuse for allowing private citizens to own military-style assault weapons. The conservative Supreme Court justices who are strict constitutionalists must know that when it was adopted in 1791, the Second Amendment covered only knives, muskets, long rifles, flintlock pistols and the like.
Following the latest slaughter of innocent civilians, gun promoters are once again urging teachers to be armed in their classrooms. But we all know that mass shootings have occurred in all types of public places, not just schools. Don’t teachers have enough responsibilities without this? Gun enthusiasts say the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. But who can say that the good guy won’t one day snap and become the bad guy?
At the recent NRA convention in Texas, a former judge said he was against raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon. He pointed out that an 18-year-old in the military is allowed to use one, missing the point entirely that weapons of war should only be used by the military. The only solution to end this national madness is to confiscate all assault weapons and ban them. Buy them back and destroy them. Release photos of the victims of assault weapons to show the world the horror that will haunt the survivors of mass shootings for the rest of their lives.
Ginger Gestra, Dallas
