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.

The “Chance for Sanity” Party will wade into the second amendment morass by pushing the legal limits farther than previously. Just within our country over 15,600 non-suicidal deaths occurred in 2017 out of over 61,800 non-suicide incidents. During 2017, 346 mass-shootings occurred. A mass shooting means four or more were shot in a single event. The vast majority of Americans want something done and the “Chance for Sanity” Party will push for a sane second amendment.

Thanks to the leadership at the National Rifle Association, America is awash with guns. Initially the organization involved hunter gun safety which everyone supported. It did not bring huge monetary wealth into their cheap suit pockets. By spending tens of millions of gun manufacturers’ and members’ money to create fear and a patriotic fervor, the NRA has persuaded Americans they need to have many guns. They have convinced people their safety is carrying a gun everywhere. Over 2,000 people found having a gun around was dangerous in 2017. That’s over 10,000 since January 2014. During the same period over 3,500 children and 15,000 teenagers were shot. Many of the teenagers were shot due to their gang and drug activity. This was a result of the ease of getting guns. Gun running has become a major source of revenue for gangs.

The Party’s platform will be to combat the gun lobby propaganda by constantly telling the truth about gun violence. People need to be de-programmed from the gun culture manufactured by the gun lobby and their sponsors. Standing up to the gullible and weak minded is critical to restore real safety.

We will also define the parameters of the second amendment as to what weapons and accessories are legal and which are not. Assault type weapons, large capacity magazines, and non-personal defense or abnormal hunting accessories will become illegal to make, sell, or own. Less of these things make us safer and saner.

The gun lobby and manufacturers have kept a gun safety system from being marketed. It works off a finger print identification system. The only person who can fire it is the one finger printed. All handguns will be required to have it.

Just as in most states the Federal Government will issue gun owners permits to lawful gun owners. Those with mental problems and drug dependency and certain ex-cons will be denied the cards. We must reduce unlicensed sale or exchange of guns by and to those people without a federal card. This will end most gun shows where guns are bought in a lax state and smuggled into a stricter state and to most mass shooters.

The vast majority of Americans want these controls. It is a tough but winnable battle.

To my former National Rifle Association supporter friends (they are still my friends but not still supporting the NRA), we need to speak and out donate to the campaigns of those wanting to enact sensible gun control laws. As long as the NRA is able to sit in their huge office building (Bankruptcy sale is my dream.) and decide who will be president, senator, congressman, governor or state legislator, we will not have meaningful gun laws.

The Second Amendment of the Constitution states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The far right leaning judges in US Supreme Court used an obscure letter from a dissident founding father to allow for wholesale purchase of guns. How can anyone misconstrue a precisely worded sentence stating a city dweller, farmer, or a frontiersman must have an arm, preferably a rifle, to use in a militia call-up. The written intent is every man with a gun is in the militia. That would be the State National Guard today. The amendment was added because the founders did not want to trade one domineering government with a big army for another. The ones for adding the amendment called George Washington “King George” because they thought he would use his army to become a dictator. They thought militias could stand up to professional troops so they kept the army small and put their faith in the militia.

Apparently the rights can be restricted when the far right and the NRA deems it agreeable. The NRA often deceives us by saying one thing in public after an event and then quietly pushing for no change or easing existing laws. Unless and until the Supreme Court comes to its senses and the NRA quits running Congress, nothing significant will be changed to the people’s good.

Fifty-three years ago I took a European History course. One of the things I remember is a crusade some crazy monk came up with involving kids. If failed of course, because they either starved or were killed before leaving Europe. They had religion as their reason.

Today kids are leading a crusade against assault weapons that have killed more than a hundred school kids from Colorado to Florida. I think this crusade might have a far better ending than the last. Although unarmed, these kids are the spearhead of a movement with legs. The publicity is causing companies to break away from the NRA and applying pressure to politicians in Florida and around the country.

The Fourth Federal District Court of Appeals just agreed in 11 to 4 vote that Connecticut can ban 45 assault guns and magazines capable of holding over ten bullets. Perhaps the donated money from four billionaires totaling two million dollars will allow for transporting, feeding, and lodging students from across America. The students may now be able to re-institute the ten year ban on assault guns on a permanent basis. We may be the only country allowing private ownership of guns. (In Israel they are owned by the army.)

Would it be feasible for these kids to arouse the people enough to turn our gun oriented society around? Is the crusade strong enough to topple the NRA with its hundreds of millions of dollars scaring common people into worrying about race war, home invaders looking for guns, rapists, and other crimes? The NRA and the gun lobby must stop controlling members of Congress and brainwashing Americans to make second amendment commonsense. We have updated other Amendments, so why not the second?