Like many Americans, I hope to God the events in Newtown, CT bring us to actually so something about gun violence.  It’s painful enough to think of how the kids who survived were terrorized.  It’s horrific to think about twenty of them dying from multiple gunshot wounds.  Even more horrific is that we apparently value adult life so little that we had to wait for the annihilation of six- and seven-year-olds to get past the Second Amendment log jam.  That’s ridiculous.  And what does it say to Gabby Giffords and the victims and their families in Aurora, CO and Happy Valley, OR and the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, WS and Virginia Tech and all the others?  “Jeepers, we’re sorry about what happened, but what can you do?  Guess it’s just the cost of living in a free society.”

Isn’t that the worst example of crocodile tears?  

Chief amongst the crocodiles are the NRA (the leaders, not the rank and file), the gun lobby and the members of Congress who are beholden to them.  They have repeatedly claimed that more gun control is not the answer.  Some have urged more gun freedom, apparently under the theory that a return to the wild, wild west or becoming a war zone is the answer.  The NRA spends millions of dollars a year supporting the adoption of crazy “stand your ground” laws and quelling any attempt to enact stricter controls, which clearly are not improving the situation.

“Second Amendment!  Second Amendment!” they scream.  But the founding fathers wrote the Second Amendment to provide for a militia – a militia – and hunting for food.  Not survivalists, not mass murderers.  We have a militia now, several branches of militia.  That purpose has been served.  Americans have a right to hunt game, not people.  And I seriously doubt that Thomas Jefferson or Ben Franklin or any of the others would look at the rampage of Adam Lanza as within the bounds of their plan.

How hard is it to grasp that using a killing instrument should be at least as well-regulated as driving a car?  Think about it.  Would you want anyone to be able to jump behind the wheel without even having to scan a manual?  No.  Do our gun laws make sense?  No.

Here’s a thought:  It’s time for the NRA and other forces supporting all guns all the time at any cost to put their money and efforts in a new place.  More controls won’t work?  Fine.  You fix it.  Congress and local governments can hold current laws as they are and you can spend your millions of dollars – every penny – on stopping this kind of carnage through non-legal means.  Social programs, mental health programs, responsible gun use programs.  You name it.  But no more shrugging, no more backing ridiculous laws, no more torpedoing candidates who have sane views on guns and no more complaining that there aren’t enough guns.  You don’t like our ideas?  Show us what you’ve got.  It’s the only way you can ever gain credibility in the aftermath of such mass killings.  You have absolutely none now.

If you can’t come up with anything, it’s time for you to step aside.