Since the massacre at Newtown, Connecticut, Americans have been hearing some strange sounds coming from the conservative party (used to be the Republicans). The National Rifle Association claims they will do whatever it takes to make sure this never happens again. Others insist that arming teachers would have prevented the child murders.

The NRA has lobbied congressmen for years for less gun control. They’re responsible for the spread of assault weapons and the lapse on the ban. They argue against background checks at gun shows. That’s where the Virginia Tech killer got one of his weapons. The only reason they’re being so agreeable now is because the massacre involves kids. The best thing that could happen to the NRA is for hunters and trap shooters to break away from the main organization. Nobody wants to take guns away from sportsmen, although it wouldn’t hurt if they supported insurance legislation and gun locks. It’s the gun fetishers who need psychiatric help. They’ve proven it again by suggesting that we arm teachers. Well, I used to be a teacher and this is how assinine that idea is. Teaching is the second most stressful occupation behind traffic controllers, and they don’t need to worry about keeping track of a gun. A better idea would be to ramp up security and to make sure windows can withstand a bullet. Also cover the perimeter with cameras and hire somebody to watch them. The NRA wants to hire a police officer. I doubt their fiscally conscious brothers-in-arms would pay for that.

After the Virginia Tech shooting, wingers suggested we arm professors. One of the news magazines went further. They did a study where students were given training handling guns and told that they would be confronted by an armed assailant in class. It didn’t go well. The pretend assailant got the jump on them and the kids couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, while several of them would have been killed if real bullets had been used in the test. It was replicated several times and the result was always the same.

What we can do is stop the paranoia. Every time this happens, people run out and buy guns. They don’t believe research that suggests you are more likely to shoot a loved one than you are an intruder. There have been two recent happenings that illustrate the point. In Minnesota, a four-year-old found his father’s gun under the father’s pillow and accidentally shot and killed his two-year-old brother. In another instance, a grandfather shot his sixteen-year-old granddaughter who was trying to get in the patio door. If I were a mailman or a UPS driver, I would be really worried about the increase of guns in the United States. It’s around 300 million and increasing each year.

100,000 people are wounded by a gun each year. 30,000 die as a result of murder, suicide or accident. That’s 300,000 every ten years. Car accidents take more lives, but not many more. We require drivers to buy liability insurance. Republicans in congress have managed to fight a similar requirement for guns. Parents of the dead children in Newtown will have to sue the school for lax security. A gun lock would have saved the life of the two-year-old. Gun manufacturers need to step up and make guns safer. And quit making clips with over thirty bullets or make them so expensive ordinary buffoons can’t afford them.

Conservatives keep leaning on the second amendment as an excuse for the proliferation of guns. Well, here‘s the wording: “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.” What does that mean exactly? Do the people need to join the militia in order to keep a gun? Would the national guard count as a militia? I doubt the founders meant for every crazy who likes to play with explosives to have a gun. Seems like they’re getting one these days. Does the Christian militia count? They got in trouble a while back for fomenting revolution. If you don’t like Obamacare, do you have the right to form a militia to overthrow the government? Why in the world do you need an assault rifle, because the guy who might break into your house might have one? Chances are better you’ll be struck by lighting than that someone will invade your house. Chances are even better you’ll shoot yourself, your spouse, your own child, your neighbor, a fellow worker, or an innocent bystander than that you’ll ward off an intruder. He or she will probably kill you with your own gun.

The second amendment needs to be amended. It was intended for what was happening in the 18th Century. Our founders weren’t certain someone other than Washington might not come along and try to form a dictatorship. Ever hear of Aaron Burr? Did you know he was vice president? We amended the 18th amendment, didn’t we? An American citizen also does not have the right to yell “Fire” in a crowded movie theater. Although this provision usually refers to the First amendment, I think it applies here. Have you ever heard of road rage? Every so often we read about a driver pointing a gun or worse at someone who has cut him off. Isn’t driving dangerous enough?

There’s no real need to own a gun period. Most women and some men have their cell phones attached to their bodies (even in the shower) and 911 is readily available. Forty-five seconds in small towns like Newtown will get you help. The police will arrive almost as fast. Until the conservative party began using them to fight unnecessary wars (Perhaps anticipating the reaction if they tried to draft young people), the national guard was meant to protect us against anything on a larger scale. Let’s face it, people who own a gun want to own one. They like shooting things. There should be a lesson in what happened to Mrs. Lanza. Live by the sword, die by the sword. She bought the guns; she took her son to firing ranges. The people in Newport don’t even count her as one of the victims.

Just yesterday Wayne Lapierre gave a speech blaming video games for the violence and suggesting schools hire police officers to guard the children. Duh. He did not mention assault rifles, cop killing bullets (Are they legal now, too?) and clips with over 30 bullets. Nor did he mention how easy it is to modify an assault rifle (as did the IHOP killer) by adjusting one little bolt. This guy needs to pay the piper. The original Scopes trial was a kind of test case. Nobody was going to send John Scopes to jail for teaching evolution. How about a test case for Mr. Lapierre, accusing him of some complicity in the murder of 26 children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut? Maybe then he’ll do a little soul searching.

We should take some consolation in the number of people who are participating in buy back programs throughout the country; others are waiting in line to get a permit to buy a gun, afraid President Obama will add some clout to gun laws. Could it be these were the same people who were waiting for the world to end on 12/21/12? Sarcasm intended.

Above all, we can’t let this incident go away as we did with the Gabby Giffords' case. Keep on yelling and screaming until we get some realistic gun laws.