I haven’t written much since the new administration took over The White House. A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece called The Day America Died that drew upon evidence gleaned from observations of what people had to say after the Republican National Convention. The overwhelming lack of understanding that faced the nation by choosing something like Trump to be the leader of the United States was disturbing. I realized the country I loved was a myth.

As if I needed more proof, monitoring the debate over gun control and gun violence reaffirms the presence of a cancer eating at the healthy, vibrant tissue of our society. Yesterday, across our nation, young people stood to address the reality of guns in our midst. Posting of a video in which a young man eloquently addressed the truth of gun violence and control on Facebook was followed by the same kind of sick retort I witnessed after the RNC. Here are some of those:

John Mitchell: “in case you forgot student, you still can’t vote.”

Larry Stark: “moron”

Thomas C. White: “Poor lost souls… this court was built with guns… and guns are what keeps us free”

Tara Ann LeNeave: “There parents should be ashamed of there selves, if u had been doing ur job at home before they went to school all this wouldn’t be going on, lazy parents=out of control children”

Charles Jerger: “This kid is an idiot. Rely on the government for everything. Sounds like communism.”

Fbio Rodrigo Milani: “begins with beautiful speeches and full of noble reasons, but the truth is that in the end they open up space for masked dictatorships of democracy, like Venezuela or my Brazil. Weapons are necessary for self-protection against other men and especially against the state itself.”

Johnny Cook Jr.: “You have no idea what you are talking about. Let me ask you a question respectfully. What makes and AR-15 an “Assault Rifle?” Seriously…. why do you call it that?”

Chuck Barnes: “Anybody that thinks the problem is guns their just delusional. The problem is society letting it’s youth get away with whatever they want and having no consequences.”

There are ten thousand other responses to that post, some in support of the students, many are not. Some were just in-eloquent enough to simply post an emoji giving them the finger.

Not a single day goes by where someone being shot and killed by a gun hits the news. EVERY…SINGLE…DAY. If we as a country have demonstrated one thing, it’s that we are not responsible enough to possess guns.

So, cue the second amendment:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

In the late eighteenth century, our fledgling nation was vulnerable to invasion. As we did not possess the world’s strongest military, nor an early warning detection system, it seemed reasonable to allow for the population to raise a militia to defend our shores. We’re way beyond that now. Proponents of guns love to take what they want from the second amendment. It’s simply stated, but there are three commas in the text of the compound sentence. The first part suggests the purpose, the second establishes the mandate, the third the right, and the fourth offers the protection. Taken as a whole, when the first two parts are either out of compliance (I dare anyone to name the militia they belong to) or not even needed (you’re going to accomplish what our military can’t?), the second two parts cease to be relevant.

Since we are incapable of being responsible, it’s time to repeal the second amendment. Handguns and assault rifles should be made illegal outside the confines of law enforcement and the military. This is not something that would happen overnight; in fact it would take a generation or more to remove the millions upon millions of guns in private ownership. I believe the ability to make that happen rests with the youth of our country. My generation seems incapable of doing anything.

I can picture every gun owner reading this stamping his or her foot, having a little temper tantrum, and spitting out all the arguments about how they need guns for protection against armed bad guys, or to prevent home invasions, or for when Russia or North Korea land on our shores. Once all handguns and assault rifles were gone, you wouldn’t have need for a gun to protect yourself from a bad guy, and if the Russians or North Koreans get past our military and invade our cities, your little guns won’t be worth a damn. Simply put, I call bullshit on every argument I’ve ever heard about having a gun.

I love guns, in fact for many years I made part of my living carrying one. I grew up in the same culture everyone else did, the same one that glorifies guns. What kid didn’t want a cap gun or a cowboy gun or a plastic assault rifle – nerf gun or otherwise? I did. I love movies that involve blowing things up or ones with heavy weapons action. But they’re movies, the place for fantasy. I love Harry Potter, too, but I can’t conjure a Patronus charm. Reality is where guns don’t belong. No parent should see on the news that their children’s school is on lock-down because of an active shooter. No mother should be at a traffic light and have their five-year-old shot in the head by accident because two drug dealers decide to shoot it out on the street. No one should have to go to an outdoor concert and worry some nutcase might be lurking in a window somewhere about to open fire. I surrendered my weapons in July 2016. It was difficult, like quitting smoking, but it was the right thing to do, the healthy choice.

To the proponents of gun ownership and to the NRA, yes, I do want the government to come for your handguns and assault-style rifles, because you can’t handle them. I don’t care if you’re the “responsible” gun owner. I call bullshit on that argument as well because it simply perpetuates the culture and makes you complicit in gun violence and death.

I’m not opening this post to debate. I’ve heard it all before. If you don’t like what I’m saying, tough! If you agree, print this out and mail a copy to your elected officials. It’s time to bring down the second amendment. It’s time to put on our grown-up clothes and do what needs to be done.

My generation and the one just after mine are leaving a diseased legacy to our children and grandchildren – from the decimation of our planet to the continuing degradation of our society. Let’s try to eliminate at least this threat to our nation.