Once again, to our national shame, gunfire has indiscriminately slaughtered innocent citizens. This time, the victims are mainly elementary school children, in what they thought was the safety of their school. Some two dozen families will never have another "nice day."

Common sense should have dictated that we would have long ago enacted national gun control laws that would help prevent these tragedies. But the National Rifle Association lobbies against any and all attempts to pass this legislation. And I believe to their shame, our legislators bow down to the NRA, since they above all want to be re-elected, and they feel the NRA can tip the scales either way. Our country has a population of over 300 million. The NRA boasts 4.3 million members, less than 1.5 percent, yet they are able to control our legislation. They boast that we will have to pry their guns from their "cold dead hands." Unfortunately, those cold dead hands all too often belong to the innocent victims.

Will we rise up and demand that our spineless representatives vote their conscience and enact meaningful laws to stop this slaughter? Probably not. But shame on us if we don't.

Talbot Brewer

Bellingham