I surrendered years ago. The Gun Industry is armed to the teeth with deadly weapons and knows how to use them. There is enough money and testosterone fueling gun fanaticism to buy any and every politician in the country. I take some comfort that American gun owners don’t have to shoot people in the face to silence them, as in other countries. They own the issue and all of the power.

I have only one shred of hope that the face of the Gun Industry is really kabuki theatre. That the paranoia and rage — "my cold dead fingers" — are a mere display, much as that of a gorilla, a creature far more peaceful than humans except when startled. Certainly, shouting and braying that "leftist socialists want to take all the guns" seems odd given the supposed security of having a weapon. Of having access to a bottomless supply of an insane array of killing machines. Some security.

My hope that the fearsome mask of the blood-soaked Gun Industry is not real stems from the few gun owners I know, all of whom own hand guns and have them accessible when they travel. They are calm, sensible, even peaceful. I’ll add "mostly liberal" to stress this is not just Left vs Right. I imagine some on the Right wish we could do something about our problem with guns. I hope my gun-owning friends represent more than the non-lunatic fringe of an army of raging gun-fuckers ready to shoot first and ask questions never.

The Gun Industry has no suggestions other than that public slaughter would be lessened if MORE people had guns. That self-serving delusion is painfully absurd. A failure to realize how INSANE that is is itself a suggestion of insanity. That’s how it is in the hall-of-mirrors of mental illness.

In the time it takes me to write these feeble words, countless gun enthusiasts have increased their armory. The Gun Industry has soaked up more money and blood and hums along happily. And another sick bastard plots revenge. Yes, he could use knives or pencils, although few people would get hurt and anyone could stop him. There is no solution to our problems.