After the horrible events of September 11, 2001,  I was willing to accept the concepts put forth by President Bush to form yet another government agency to bring all our intelligence agencies together and allow them to more easily “connect the dots” in matters of national security.  Out of that came the so-called “Patriot Act” and the Department of Homeland Security, that quickly spawned the Transportation Security Administration, and more layers of government bureaucracy and non-accountability.  Like many areas of life, especially where governments are concerned, the devil is always in the details.

Now, in the wake of the shootings in El Paso and Dayton last weekend, politicians on both sides of the aisle are calling for stricter “Gun Control” measures to protect us from further such heinous acts.  They will bluff and bluster, huff and puff, demagogue and pontificate.  All to make their constituents believe that they are doing something to make America safer. But as always the devil IS in the details. You can demonize AR-15 type weapons all you want, calling them “assault weapons” or “automatic rifles” or “military hardware”.  However, those who have been in the military know that they are none of these things. They are semi-automatic weapons, and can fire as many rounds as the magazine they are equipped with carries.  So, it is logical to ban them, right?  Also, it is logical to pass so-called “Red Flag” laws that will identify individuals who potentially might be a danger to themselves, or the public at large.  As proposed, if someone is reported to have said something that an individual felt was threatening, law enforcement could confiscate any firearms they owned until a judge could determine whether the accusations and subsequent confiscations were justified.  There’s a devil for you!

I’m not talking about a cute little devil sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear to do something naughty. I’m talking about  the 10 foot high, flaming pitchfork wielding variety.  Got a neighbor who doesn’t agree with your politics and is afraid of guns?  Got a former girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse who is seeking  some payback?  Got a co-worker who wants the position you both are competing for?  More important, is the judge who is going to decide your fate a flaming anti-gun “Progressive”?  You, my friend, like the poor soul who was mistakenly placed on a “No Fly List” by some faceless bureaucrat after the Patriot Act was passed, are screwed, unless, that is, you have the wherewithal to pay the legal fees for a lawyer who might get the judgement overturned.

So, rather than once again jump into the Patriot Act mode, let’s look at the real causes of this senseless violence.  The failure to identify troubled youth who have been so desensitized to violence that killing real people is no different than a video game.  The expunging of violent youthful behavior from their record when an individual turns 18 years of age.  The almost total lack of parental responsibility in so many households today, especially “single-parent” households where no positive father figure exists, or indeed ever has existed.  The backing away from the concepts of a moral society, based on a Judeo-Christian belief system.  Finally, and possibly most importantly, the concept that we as individuals have the “right” to accept or reject laws which are already on the books.  Children learn from adults.  When they see their elders disregard something as simple as a speed limit, when they hear them bragging about “getting away” with something. When they hear churchgoers demeaned and derided by atheists, why are we surprised that they grow up to be sick twisted individuals like the two young killers last weekend?