I've written much of this column before.
I am a gun owner.
I think hunting and sport rifles, shotguns and yes, even some handguns, ought to be allowed in a free society in which we live.
Should everyone be allowed to have a gun or to purchase a gun?
Therein, with me, of late, lies the rub.
And I have already expressed my opinion that shotguns, rifles, and even handguns -- should be limited to a very small, finite number of rounds.
No 100 shot rifles. No 32-shot magazines on a pistol.
I would like to see nothing like that in the hands of ordinary citizens.
If a sportsman can't hit a deer with five shots; he or she needs more target practice before wounding a wild animal.
If the person carrying a pistol for their protection can't hit their target in five shots? Well, they too need to re-evaluate their premise on needing personal protection.
But let's get back to the most recent epic fail of the United States Senate -- that most exclusive of elected men and women in our nation.
Even this small number, 100, they could not agree on possibly, I mean, possibly, passing legislation to prohibit the purchase of a gun to a selected, almost targeted class of people -- not all of whom are U.S. citizens. I know I need to be extra careful here -- lots of social critics are out there in our nation.
The vote or lack of passage of four measures last week in the U.S. Senate leaves me almost breathless in frustration where gun violence of late has occurred.
None of the four measures, two from each side, overcame filibusters to advance the debate on any of the measures.
The first vote, coming from an amendment from Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, fell short of 60 votes needed, with 52 Republicans and one Democrat voting to end the filibuster. Grassley's bill would provide more money to improve the background check system, but he would not end the so-called gun-show loophole on background checks, which a competing Democratic measure would do.
A stronger background check bill by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, only mustered 44 votes to end filibuster. One Republican joined 41 Democrats and two independents in the losing vote. Two Democrats went with the Republicans.
On the bill to consider banning gun sales to people on the terrorist watch list, a Republican bill which would delay purchases for 72 hours, while Democrats would go even farther to prohibit the sales.
The GOP bill was the first to fail the filibuster test, getting 53 votes to end filibuster, with two Democrats joining 51 Republicans. Only three Republicans plus independents opposed filibuster.
And finally it was Sen. Dianne Feinstein's stronger no-fly/no-buy bill. She got 47 votes to end filibuster -- 43 Democrats, two Republicans and the two independents.
Arkansas' Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman, both Republicans, did not break from party-line voting.
I know the "No Fly" list is a list.
It can be wrong. But it also can be, and is, more times right, than wrong.
People who cannot fly in a commercial airplane, due to valid suspicions of illegal activity, links to terrorists, or just people who are not safe, really don't need to be buying guns.
I also think that instant gun show background checks that reveal problems with violence, anger or unstable mental illnesses should be reason enough to stop the purchasing of a weapon.
Were any or all of these bills a cure-all for the spate of mass shootings, lone wolf gunmen, or other horrific scenes of carnage we have seen in this country?
No.
Still, gun violence in this country is out of control.
It won't take a re-write of the Constitution to fix it either.
Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 06/29/2016