Why do we buy our assault rifles? Who do we plan to assault? Do we buy them “just in case?” Do we fear foreign paratroopers will drop from the sky? Do we fear a local militia will descend? Do we fear our government will turn on us? Do we fear a burglar will enter our house?
Where should we keep and bring our AR-15s? Should we carry them to the grocery store, out to dinner or a show? And, if so, it better be every time, because you never know. Can we pull it from under the bed or a full grocery cart in time to do any good? If not, should we hang them from our necks? It already feels like they’re strangling us.
How many foreign paratroopers or outer-space aliens have we needed to shoot? How many of our neighbors, friends and family has this weapon shot?
People pull the trigger, but it’s the bullets that kill. How many bullets at a time do we want to give a neighbor, friend or family member who suddenly or slowly goes berserk? How many neighbors, friends and family members have to be butchered and die before we, the people, call out to our politicians to put an end to this evil-spewing weapon?
Karen Olson
Portland
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