The president of the National Rifle Association says he is protecting the rights of all Americans. He apparently believes that any American should be able to buy and carry any kind of gun, even those originally designed for the sole purpose of killing other people, and that it is a right that should never be tampered with.

Well, an American just exercised that right by taking his assault rifle into a club in Florida and opening fire on other Americans exercising their right to gather in a public place. Result? As of this writing, 50 dead and more than 50 wounded. A record mass shooting. I hope it makes the NRA proud.

While I no longer read hunting magazines, I can’t say I’ve seen any articles about hunting deer with an AK-47 or bagging the limit of quail with a Kalashnikov. It seems these weapons come up only in news reports about actual people being killed.

Since the NRA has historically managed to thwart attempts to regulate guns, I think it’s time that lawmakers and the public listened to NRA's ideas on stopping the increasing use of assault weapons in mass murders. What plans are they developing to stem the violence? Should we all  buy assault weapons for use when threatened or disrespected? Americans would like to hear your thoughts, NRA.

Penny Herring

Preston