Who are the bad people?

Everyone is a good person, right up to the moment when they do something bad. Everyone is sane until the moment they do something crazy.

Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz has added his two cents to the dialogue following the Newtown incident. He thinks the answer is better mental health services; better screening:

The Utah Representative has suggested he would be in favor of legislation that would make it harder for the mentally disturbed to gain access to guns–and especially assault weapons, which was used in the Friday shooting.

Chaffetz said he still thinks most Americans should have access to guns, but that there needs to be something done with regard to quote “lethal weapons and how it relates to mental health.”

This opinion exposes the root fallacy beneath the gun culture: Bad people are “others” — the trick is simply to spot them early, keep guns away from them, and properly arm the “good people” so that they can defend themselves from the others.

What gun advocates ignore is that this event happened because of one of THEM. It was a responsible gun owner, concerned about teaching responsibility to her children, concerned about self defense. It was her kid who did this with her gun.

So when someone like Gohmert or Chaffetz suggests that we need more guns, this is my response: YOU are the problem. You expect US to assume that you are a “good person,” but I don’t trust YOU. I don’t trust your spouse, your kids, your friends and relatives, your neighbors or all the other random people who may gain access to your weapon. Everyone around you is at risk, should the day arrive when you suddenly lose control of your weapon or your senses, all because YOU DEMAND the unconstrained power to kill another person at will.

I have deep sympathy for someone who loses a life or a loved one. I have zero sympathy for someone who loses a gun.