Yeah, it's me... [View all]

[derby378]

Go ahead. Blame my AK. Blame the latest Call of Duty videogame release. Blame those old, hyperviolent Popeye cartoons from the AAP studios if you like. Or better yet, just blame every liberal Democrat who owns a gun, already.

The smug self-righteousness of certain gun-grabbers is something we have tolerated for a long time because we actually believe in their Constitutional rights as well as our own. Just keep in mind that most of you DUers do not fall into the category I've just mentioned. Those of you whom I have met in person have been a swell bunch, and I'm glad to know each and every one of you.

You probably remember that my wife, ChickMagic, was a strong supporter of gun control. I'm a little surprised she never joined the Brady Campaign. But you know what? Even though we could disagree strongly on the issue of guns and the Second Amendment, we could discuss the issue like civilized human beings over pizza and sodas. And we even made each other think about our positions once in a while. Believe me, we'd both be furious over what happened in Newtown today, crying our eyes out and hurling curses at the shooter. And I've already shed my tears for those poor kids and their families, pleading with God to bring a measure of solace to those who have had their lives shattered by this tragedy.

But now is not the time to go all Chicken Little on the Constitution. If I remember correctly, the Columbine tragedy happened at a time when our nation's gun laws were at their strongest. The moment we throw reason and justice to the wind and start screaming for the head of every gun owner in America regardless of race, gender, or party affiliation, we are allowing long-dormant demons to awaken and seize control of our mental faculties.

You want laws that would make it harder for the next Lanza to get hold of those weapons? I'm listening. You want improved mental-health screenings to be part of every instant background check? We can look into that. Just because I own a Kalashnikov does not mean that my heart is not sickened by what unfolded today. I want something meaningful done to head off the next VTech, the next Columbine, the next Newtown.

But if all you want is a scapegoat that you can blame this massacre on, look no further than the Lanza family. The answer is in that dysfunctional family dynamic somewhere, and if we can all just calm down long enough for the truth to come out about the Lanzas, I think it will - and it will be a sorry story, indeed.

I need to relax. No, I need to vent my rage. No, I need to shed a few more tears. No, I need to be still. I'm as torn up about Newtown as the rest of you. Surprise? I'm human, after all.

And you folks are my friends. I love you. Without you, DU would be an electronic vacant lot. You make DU what it is.

I'm spent. Off the soapbox now...