“looks like you’ve got some light fiction reading,” I said as I sat down next to the young man.
 He laughed and said it was a fascinating book - Assassin’s Gate by a New Yorker writer.ÂÂ
I didn’t bring up what I knew would be a controversial subject until later in the flight. We went down the road of tabo subjects - politics and religion.
“I don’t always follow the party line on political issues,” I said. “I’m against the death penalty as a deterrent to murder, but I’m also against gun control. I believe if someone wants to kill, it’s not because of the weapon they hold in their hand, but because of the condition of their heart. If they want to kill, and they don’t have a gun, they’ll find another way to do it.”ÂÂ
It’s odd that I said that on the day that someone killed 32 people with a gun. Perhaps stricter gun control would have saved more lives. Perhaps he would have found another way.ÂÂ
I’m not sure that I’m as against gun control today as I was yesterday.ÂÂ
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April 18, 2007 at 1:57 pm
ijourney
As much as i hate the thought of more government control, it does seem like a “red flag” should have popped up around this guy and all his guns. Not sure what the answer is, but i agree that the heart is the first priority.
April 18, 2007 at 2:39 pm
alexmcmanus
excellent post, beth. i think you’re right. the one who ants to kill will figure out how to kill. and, yes, if all the students were armed, the killer would have been stopped sooner and innocent lives spared. could we be headed back to the days of the wild, wild west?
April 18, 2007 at 2:43 pm
revzwife
Alex,
Part of me thinks, though, had he not had a gun or the type of gun he had, fewer people would have died.
Very, very sad.
Mike,
Listening to the news, it’s very apparent that he was a troubled person. That he could buy any weapons was surprising. However, we all know that if you really want a gun, you can get one, whether legally or ilegally.