Into the Gun Debate

Anyone not outraged by the ongoing slaughter of Americans of all ages by guns, is simply not paying attention, or in a coma. Unique in the developed world, America clings to its constitutional phrase, "...the right of the people to bear arms shall not be impeded." However most never read the rest of it, which refers to allowing state militias at a time when the young country was not secure in its independence from Britain.

As a resident of Arizona, one of the most gun-loving of the fifty states, I am aware that many of my neighbors have firearms, and today I learned that one friend and his wife have permits to carry a concealed weapon. I feared a rancorous debate with him, since I, an immigrant from Canada and Britain, believe that unless you are a member of the police or the military, you have no business owning a handgun.

Imagine my surprise when he stated that he believes gun owners should be licensed, and universal background checks should be required!

If he and I, on opposite poles of the gun debate spectrum, can agree on this, surely Congress put such basic legislation into law.

An inability to act is, to me, confirmation that opposing basic gun control measures is equivalent to being in the back pocket of gun manufacturers.