I lost a friend today because of guns.

I apparently alienated an old friend yesterday with my notion that America needs to sit down and have a rational discussion about guns. That old friend was outraged at me

 He yelled, “You are trying to ruin America.”

I told him I was looking for a rational discussion and ideas to help solve the ever- increasing gun violence epidemic that grips our country…and he all but yelled at me… that Obama and I were after his guns, as if he were the only person in the world with guns. I explained to him it was not the case, but he railed on. 

I finally told him to either shut up or hang up. I wasn’t going to talk with him any longer. He had had a chance to say his piece, he had done it and I still thought we as a people should come together and talk about this issue, rationally and calmly. There are great ideas floating around, many of which I have shared in the last few days at this blo9f and other sites that are good thought-starters.

But if you are going to be so closed-minded as to shout and call the President and me pejoratives, I have no use for you any longer.

 I now have one less friend.

 I don’t care.

There comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted on, to do what is right.  If I lose a friend because of that, so be it.

We still need to come together and discuss this. Rationally and creatively and openly. We need gun owners and gun advocates and sportsmen and farmers and ranchers and law-enforcement officers, anti-gun folks and gun restriction folks as well as members of both parties from Congress and the Senate plus judges and lawyers to sit together and talk about this.

 We need solutions. But we need to start.

 I am lighter one less friend today. It is sad, but not nearly as sad as 20 dead children at the hands of a crazy man and his guns in Sandy Hook.