As of Monday, June 13, the United States had 273 mass shootings with 305 dead and 1,144 more wounded since January 1, 2021. This doesn’t count the many hundreds wounded with three or less shot in one incident. Nor does it count the kids shot from finding a loaded gun.

            Is it possible that most dangerous place on Earth is the United States? We may have more assault weapons than any war torn country. These weapons have only one use and it isn’t hunting animals so why do we need millions of them. Aside from the gun lobbyists and manufacturers conning people into thinking they need at least one for protection, websites tell a macho need or scare people into thinking some conspiracy.

            It is easy to see how we got into this crazy mess but how do we get out of it? Guns are in the hands of gang bangers, crazies, and sane people. A large percentage of those guns are in illegal hands.

            One way is to make any sale or gifting of an assault weapon illegal with stiff fines and jail terms. For those already out, a thousand dollar a year permit with a fine equal to ten years of permits for not renewing the permit. Permits are required for some guns now. Permitting assault weapons would merely put them in the legal class with other war type weapons.

            Las Vegas and many school and store shootings show Congress needs to get a pair and stop these massacres.