Just one short snippet of snark tonight, for I’m a bit under the weather and shooting for an early bedtime (early, as opposed to my usual 3:30 a.m.).  But this one just begged for me to weigh in …

Why are we even having this discussion?  Why in the Sam Hell does a single person with an ounce of grey matter inside their skull think that this makes any sense???  Oh … you’re wondering what I’m on a tear about today, eh?  Well, I’ll tell you.  It pertains to guns and children.  There is a state somewhere in the middle of this country called ‘Missouri’ … the state motto is “Salus populi suprema lex esto,” which when translated into English means “Safety of the people be the supreme law.”  A lovely motto … and in light of Wednesday’s vote in the Missouri House of Representatives, one which is completely without validity.

There was a bill in the state legislature to ban children from carrying guns.  WHY is this even a topic?  WHO in their right mind thinks a child should even have access to a gun, let alone carry one in public???  But wait … I’m not finished.  It gets even better.  The Missouri House of Representatives struck down the bill to ban children from carrying guns!!!  They voted 104-39 to approve of children carrying guns – in public and without adult supervision!!!  Only one Republican voted in support of the ban – surprise, surprise, surprise.

The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Donna Barringer, said she introduced the bill on request from police departments in her district who said they wanted tighter regulations to stop “14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s.”

One Republican, Tony Lovasco, defended the decision to allow children to carry guns in public, saying …

“Government should prohibit acts that directly cause measurable harm to others, not activities we simply suspect might escalate.”

So … we sit back and wait until some child, angry with his parents, teachers, or classmates one day, opens fire in his classroom, or in a McDonald’s restaurant!  Sure, that sounds like a real smart solution.  Not.

Now, you may be asking yourself if there isn’t a federal age limit on guns, and the answer is “yes … sort of.”  Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, shotguns and rifles, referred to as long guns, and ammunition for both, can only be sold to individuals 18 years old or older. All firearms that are not shotguns and rifles, referred to as handguns, including their ammunition, can be sold only to individuals 21 years old or older.  BUT … that applies to gun ownership.  AND … there’s a footnote … the age limit for handguns if being sold by an unlicensed person drops to 18 years old, while long guns have no age requirement if sold by an unlicensed person.  So, if I own an AR-15, not being a licensed gun seller, I can sell it to a 5-year-old child if I so desire.

Missouri is commonly known as the “show-me state” – there are numerous legends as to the background of that slogan, but in essence it means they are a stubborn lot who take nothing at face value.  So, I guess that means they don’t believe, until they see it with their own eyes, that putting guns into the hands of children is among the stupidest ideas ever proposed.  Well, I’m betting money that it’s only a matter of time before somebody shows them.  Now, think back to Missouri’s motto that I mentioned in the first paragraph … “Safety of the people be the supreme law.”  SERIOUSLY???  I think not. In the words of Forrest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.”