The Gun Obsession

The gun enthusiasts are crossing a line these days by showing up at town hall meetings, armed, and harping on their 2nd amendment right to do so.

Yesterday, Chris Matthews interviewed John Velleco representing Gun Owners of America and it's rather shocking to hear anyone advocating a constitutional right to attend a speech by Obama, armed with semi-automatic weapons, and the right to travel on commercial airlines with guns.

Just because I have freedom of speech does not mean I have the right to do so if it puts the safety of others at risk. A good example of this would be the millions of one-handed drivers who are clutching a cellphone while zooming down the highway at 75 MPH, or no-hands drivers who are texting. While these "law-abiding" citizens may have every legal right to attend public events with a loaded pistol strapped on their hip, that does not make it a smart or sensible thing to do, even if the subject of the town hall meetings was the 2nd amendment as opposed to health care debate.

Ironically, these people are actually jeopardizing support for the 2nd amendment right to bear arms. As soon as we have one or two incidents in which someone is killed, whether it be in a bar, a church, a school gym, or town hall, especially if that someone happens to be a politician, then public opinion is going to swing in the direction of gun control. Or theoretically, it should.

Too many people are trying to cross this bridge made of toilet paper, and to compound the problem, there is rain in the forecast.