It is hard to hear over the sounds of gunshots!

         On the matter of gun control:

         First, for the sake of argument, let us concede the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling-- that overturned  a hundred years of precedent and runs counter to the opinion of most Constitutional scholars-- and set aside that debate!

        There are some flat-out realities that should find traction outside the looney-tune world of the NRA, its “John Wayne” followers and firearms manufacturers.

      Reality one: There is no threat to our second amendment rights, period!  And there never has been.  Any “law abiding” citizen can become a gun owner.

      Reality two: President Barack Obama does not have an agenda to confiscate guns from “law abiding” citizens.

       Reality three: America is the greatest democracy on earth and the idea of a tyrannical government coming to power is absurd!

       Subscribing to the flip side of those realities is an exercise in paranoid delusions and should have no standing in a serious discussion about the sea of weapons that have flooded our nation and facilitates the epidemic of killing within our shores

       The essential point is that we as a nation should hold ourselves accountable with safeguards if we are to own machines that are designed for the sole purpose of killing. We concede necessary safeguards as the price for the privilege of owning other machines and technology of our times---automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, computers, cell phones, drugs, pesticides and credit cards---to mention a few.

      When the founding fathers crafted the “right to bear arms”, I doubt that they could conceive of the firearms power and technology of today---anymore than they could have foreseen automobiles capable of 100 mile-an-hour speeds over trails of concrete that reach across the nation.

      Why should it be easier to buy a killing machine than it is to buy a cough medicine with codeine?

      At the very least, owing a gun should meet the same requirements as owning an automobile. There should be a minimum age. It should require a license and registration. The buyer should be required to pass a written on the use, safety and laws governing the weapon. The buyer should be required to demonstrate the ability to appropriately use the weapon.

     The argument that such laws will not prevent any given deranged individual or criminal action---is a non-sequitur. However, strictly enforced national gun control laws and accountability would most certainly put a dent in the extemporaneous behavior that costs thousands and live every month in this country.

       Anyone privately selling a gun should require the same paperwork as selling a car and universal national background checks should be a no-brainer!

        Apparently, it is hard to hear over the sounds of gunshots!