What seems almost as sad and frustrating as the recent massacre of school children is that as a society we appear to be almost helpless to be able to do anything to try and prevent these events from re-happening.

On one side, some argue that this incident demonstrates the need for stronger gun control laws and mental health treatment.

On the other side, some argue that the problem is not too many guns floating around, but not enough guns in circulation. Had all the teachers, janitors and staff been packing handguns they could have gotten the best of the assailant and reduced the number of dead children. And, of course our main responsibility is to defend "freedom." That is, to make it as easy as possible for some hothead or psychotic to be able to inflict lethal force on innocent people minding their own business, who want to exercise their "right" not to be maimed or killed.

Then, still some argue that trying to address this problem now is like "closing the barn door after the horse has already run away."

Eventually, maybe we will get used to all this never-ending mayhem, and decide that this is just the way things are meant to be.

Jerry Neeland

Bellingham