Yes, I am aware the appropriate spelling is bear with me, but I was making a bit of a stretched pun/double entendre thing.

I had this revelatory thought last night: I believe most reasonable people want appropriate gun safety laws in place. Also, the “other side” isn’t wrong. Examples:

  1. Right-wingers argue, “gun’s don’t kill people, people kill people,” and that it’s a mental health issue. They’re right! Deeply disturbed people commit murder, and it’s much easier to commit mass murder with a powerful gun, so they use guns.
  2. Left-wingers argue, “we need gun control (gun safety) laws to keep hands out of the people who would do this sort of thing.” They’re right! If deeply disturbed people cannot get guns, they cannot mass murder with guns, it’s a simple fact.

So how about we set all this polarizing nonsensical rhetoric aside and just enact some sensible gun laws? I reject the argument that it’s only down to mental health: Americans are not more violent or mentally disturbed than everyone else on the planet, so what’s the difference between us and the rest of the world? It’s very simple math: more guns = more gun deaths. So let’s do like we did with the auto industry and make them safer through laws, regulations, licensing, insurance, etc. Also, if we spend more on mental health services, violent people may get the help they need before they get a gun, after we make them more difficult to get in the first place, of course.

Everybody knows the First Amendment isn’t an absolute right - there are limits. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded room unless there is one. The Second Amendment isn’t absolute, either. We can put limits on it. SO LET’S FUCKING DO IT ALREADY.

By the way, when my house burned down, all of my guns burned down with it. I don’t think I will replace them just yet. I’d rather not get into a situation where I’d have to use one, and I don’t have time to keep up my shooting skills right now.

Maybe when I retire.