Today a teenager near Portland shot someone at his school. Monday two teenagers were found shot dead in Kennewick. On Sunday morning two Las Vegas police officers and a Walmart shopper were shot dead. On Friday three Canadian Mounties were shot dead and a man shot three people at Seattle Pacific University. Last week a man shot innocent people at UC Santa Barbara. I'm not that interested in debating guns, I just want this to stop.

I have no dog in the gun fight. I don't own a gun, but I also understand the importance of firearms in American culture.

If we're going to debate the role of guns in these recent tragedies, let's at least do it with some intelligence.

For example, I say to the people who believe carrying a weapon will make them safer: what about the cops in Las Vegas? Who is more trained in guns and more ready to defend their safety than a police officer? And that firearm didn't do a thing to protect them. One of the officers even got off a few shots, and that didn't stop the killers from crossing the street and shooting a third victim inside Walmart.

Anyone remember the Fort Hood shooting in 2009? An Army psychiatrist killed 13 soldiers and injured 30 more. How did someone walk onto an Army base and manage to shoot so many professional soldiers without opposition (in the ironically-named "Soldier Readiness" center)? Because the military doesn't allow soldiers to carry firearms while on base for safety reasons! Only military police carry them and all private arms must be registered with military police! These are the rules of the nation's gun experts!

These are good facts to debate. I'm sure someone who believes more guns in public would make us safer would have some of their own. That's fine. Let's just elevate the discussion and come up with a real solution.

 

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