Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I am disturbed not only by the timing of the NRA’s first public announcements after the horrific shootings in Newtown, CT but also by its solution to the problem.

First, the timing. It was one week ago yesterday that Adam Lanza invaded Sandy Hook School and wreaked carnage on children, adults, and himself. Since then the tiny Connecticut town has been under a magnifying glass. Who among us hasn’t watched part of the official reports, resident comments, and funeral corteges? Did the NRA have to choose the week anniversary, when emotions are still raw, to make its announcement?

In a defensive mode, Wayne LaPierre, NRA vice president who has led its operations for two decades, argued that we should have armed guards at all schools across our country to prevent such violence. He even offered his organization’s money to make this happen. Yet, I wonder if he knew that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold pushed their way past such guards to inflict mortal damage at Columbine in what seems like an eternity ago.

I know the Second Amendment insures that our country’s citizens have the “right to bear arms.” And I support that. However, this amendment needs historical context. So go online to study it and you’ll see that in this day and age – when we haven’t been subjected to Great Britain’s tyranny for more than two centuries – it doesn’t mean all citizens can collect as many guns as they want and use them as they please.

I’m all for hunters using their guns. I’m all for defending my home. I might possibly be in favor of CCW laws. But I’m not in favor of having more power than one needs. Which brings me to the military assault weapons that have been involved in more than one of these mass murders. What is the problem with banning them? We didn’t even have them when the Second Amendment was ratified.

And this leads me to my final thought. Who is defending the Sixth Commandment?