Good solutions seen

Russ Melton’s March 11 guest column provided good solutions to the gun control issue. To get the needed changes, we must attack the gun issue from the Second Amendment down. I remind you that the Constitution is a living document, and thankfully so— the founders didn’t address slavery, didn’t give the vote to non-property owners, nor did they franchise women.

On guns: Let’s drop the “assault weapons” terminology. The primary reason for gun slaughter (not gun death, a serious but separate issue) is the ability of the shooter—no, the slaughterer— to use multi-round magazines and clips that can be preloaded and carried as “spares,” giving the slaughterer a nearly unlimited number of rounds to fire into the innocent flesh of his human targets.

So, put all of the fixes to gun slaughter into law. Train teachers, retired cops, veterans? You bet, but that doesn’t protect crowds from the slaughter of military-style weapons. Outlaw all weapons in the “assault weapon” and the “semiautomatic” categories? Sure, but before the ink has dried the arms industry will come up with new multi-round innovations. Enhanced background checks? Of course, but make the buyer pay the added cost for the local, state, and national agency checks required. And legislate and enforce longer wait times while the enhanced background checks are run— agencies don’t have the resources to meet a “get-it-quick” deadline.

Meanwhile, plan to march with and protect these great kids as they work for the changes we want and the country needs. A multifaceted approach, including a “repair and replace” fix to the Second Amendment itself, will force the NRA to burn money while we use the renewable energy of our resolution to fix this, and let’s start now. This old Republican can’t again endure the heartbreak of semiautomatic slaughter. Can you? CLIFF HARRISON Hot Springs Village