NRA’S stance disgusting in its stupidity

“The most revolting, tone-deaf statement I’ve ever seen.”

Those words, spoken by Chris Murphy, a senatorelect from Connecticut — scene of the nation’s most recent and perhaps most horrific incident of school violence — only begin to express what an affront to decent people the National Rifle Association has become.

Murphy was reacting to a suggestion by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre that the way to stop maniacs from slaughtering innocent children is to put armed volunteers in every school. The NRA generously offered to train this vast army of paramilitary guardian angels.

How many such volunteers would it take to stop a lunatic armed with a semiautomatic rifle and wearing body armor? If you were six years old, would, say, three “trained” volunteers in body armor and carrying semiautomatic weapons of their own make you feel safe? Or would you feel you were in the middle of a war?

How conducive to education would that be, Mr. LaPierre? Do you care?

In his manifesto, LaPierre issued a hackneyed reprisal of the old canard: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Or thousands of them, patrolling our schools. A nation of armed militias. Welcome to Syria West.

The Second Amendment is inviolate. But none of the rights in the Bill of Rights is without reasonable limits. Why should this one be different?

No one, including President Obama, is trying to “take away our guns.” Nor should anyone. What Congress should do is pass prudent legislation to make it easier for police to do their jobs and for citizens to live from day to day with a reasonable assurance of peace and security for themselves and their children.