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To the Editor:

There is a disgustingly false argument being had by the two sides of the ridiculously asinine two-party system over guns. It’s an argument which is every bit as emotional as abortion and every bit as infuriating as illegal immigration.

Herein lies the false argument between the parties — one side would act as the doctor to the symptoms, not the cause, and legislate the effects of the abuse of gun ownership, like mass shootings, or completely strip Americans of their specifically intended rights, while the other would rather die than admit that some people simply shouldn’t have them based on a legitimate screening process. The two biggest enemies of law-abiding gun owners like me, other than those gun owners who flaunt their rights in a disgusting way simply to get a rise out of people, are the two parties and the gun lobby. It’s that simple.

Guns are inanimate objects until either programmed by or interacted with by humans, making them perfectly harmless until evil intent, not the gun itself, pulls the trigger. It’s a fact which will never change. We may deduce from that fact that the problem this country faces is not the guns themselves but the people wielding them.

The fix is simple, though maybe not easy, meaning many won’t attempt it simply because they’re politically indoctrinated and lazy.

We could put a serious dent in the number of these mass murders by making private sales of guns illegal, implementing thorough, universal background checks, safety courses to get a license to handle a weapon just like for driving a car, with obvious dispensations for former military or police, and possibly an age limit might be a good idea. But the subjectivity and emotional arguments being had over the age limits on other aspects of American life are so incredibly flawed that to approach that subject is certain to dirty the principle of simply being raised to be responsible with a gun no matter your age.

But there’s still the root cause of all of this, which neither party’s representatives, and most members, are even smart enough to think of, let alone honorable enough to vocalize in an election year for fear of losing votes — a society is what it values. We value money and ease of living in America. We are lazy and complacent. We are spoiled by amenities. We eat propaganda for all of our meals and we are extraordinarily divided by politicians and the media who use us to gain and retain position, power and profits. The “American dream” is financial, not moral. And it reflects in our national political life, on main street, in the classroom and even at home.

Until Americans once again place more value on the family unit, the right each person has to their own body and the ability of how to think, not what to think, we will continue to see Columbines, Virginia Techs, Sandy Hooks, Uvaldes, and many, many more atrocities.

Tom Noehren

Farmville