Sandy Hook Shootings Reignite Debate on Gun Laws

memorial to Sandy Hook victims/cnn.com

More details about the murders of 20 Sandy Hook elementary students and 6 adults Friday paint an even grimmer picture of the scene than when the news first hit the media.  Adam Lanzer, the 20-year-old killer, first shot his mother as she slept, before taking some of her guns and blasting his way into the school seeking victims.  H. Wayne Carver, Connecticut's chief medical examiner said that all of the victims were shot multiple times, adding that it was the worst carnage he or any of his colleagues had seen.

Lanza used a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle in most of the murders and shot his victims at close range using ammunition designed to result in maximum damage.  Ham on Wry chooses to use bold on part of the previous sentence, because herein lies the problem with gun ownership in America.  Lanza had two handguns and two assault rifles, one of which he left in the car.  Investigators believe his mother had legally purchased all of them, but are questioning local gun shops to corroborate that.

I can hear the fanatical fringe of the NRA stridently screaming, "See.  They were legally purchased.  What's the problem with our gun laws?"  The answer is quite simple.  What person with legitimate intentions needs assault rifles with bullets that rip through a body, even one with protective gear?   The answer is simple.  No one.  In case that doesn't register, no person who purchases a gun should be allowed to have an assault rifle with bullets designed to do maximum damage.  No one, that is, who doesn't work for a law enforcement agency of some type, and their employers issue them the guns that they use.

I call for a national debate and swift action in changing some of the laws that govern the sale of guns, so that we create a common sense approach to gun ownership.  NBC's Today Show Sunday morning featured a criminologist who stated that most mass murderers don't have criminal records and could pass a background check.  Okay. So what?  We should still run background checks because we could stop some crazies from purchasing guns.  More importantly, even if a person who is planning to use guns for a criminal purpose does pass a background check, no one needs an assault rifle, bulletproof vest, or bullets that penetrate protective gear that were originally designed for law enforecement officers.

The NRA has long ignored the opinions of our local, state, and national law enforcement agencies and advocated for all guns, all the time, at all costs to human life without interference.  The citizens of this country must band together and force action from our politicians, starting with President Obama, who can draft legislation and submit it to Congress for action.  I'm certain many NRA members would support laws that reduce the chance of the horrific scenes we have witnessed all too often in this country. 

A final note to Congress and the White House:  Steel your courage and stand up to the NRA!  Do something for all of this country's citizens and take action now!