In the wake of the quail hunting fiasco, I think that we ought to have a good hard look at the sport, hunting. According to the Center for Disease Control, there were 29,573 firearm-related deaths in the year 2001. The only legitimate use for guns in this country is for sport. Do hunting and gun sports justify a rate of more than three people dying every hour in 2001? It is ludicrous to argue that tens of thousands of lives must be lost every year so that a few people can go hunting. If people really want to go hunting, they can use a crossbow. It is the responsibility of our government to protect us, and so far they are doing a poor job. The gun manufacturers are getting away with murder.

The pro gun types tend to argue that guns are protected in the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment. But the Second Amendment says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” I don’t see anywhere in the Bill of Rights that the right to hunt for sport shall not be infringed. American militias have yet to prove that essential they are to the security of the state. These days’ American militias tend to be more Ku Klux Klan and less Paul Revere. I don’t know about you, but the idea of a bunch of guys training for WW III in the backwoods of Michigan does not make me feel more secure.

The murder rate is climbing in the City of Boston. Guns pour into our city from other states. The Mayor looks surprised when he sees the cache of confiscated weapons, and with good reason – people should not have access to assault rifles. Guns can only escalate a situation from bad to worse. The idea that everyone can run around like Rambo and solve their problems with ammo has been the cause of more problems around our city and around the world. I want to know is why people have access to any sort of firearms. What good can come from having a killing machine?

The Boston Herald reported that the National Rifle Association gave Mitt Romney a “B” grade when he ran for Governor. I think it’s time we elect someone whom the NRA will despise. Here in Massachusetts we have a Governor’s race boiling down to Kerry Healy (R) and Deval Patrick (D). How about we make gun control an issue for this race? What if Massachusetts became the first state to outlaw firearms outright? This would set a strong message to the other 49 states and our Capital in DC. Massachusetts has a long history of setting precedents for the rest of the country. What better time to bring gun control back onto the debate floor? The Vice President has made a fine example of the danger that firearms present. What does it say about the danger of firearms when the Vice President can’t shoot safely.

America is addicted to guns, and it’s killing us. Any sort of gun control rhetoric flies into a giant wall of money. The NRA and other pro-gun groups pour gobs of money into Congress to… keep guns on the gun-racks and in the hands of Americans. The good news is that there are impressive grassroots campaigns throughout the city aimed at damming the flow of firearms into Boston. I think it’s time for the gun happy right wing’s play-time to be over, someone could lose an eye.

I encourage anyone interested to Email Deval Patrick’s issue’s coordinator is [email protected] contact Newton based Stop Handgun Violence at 1877 SAFE ARMS]