As a preamble to this column Purple admits to owning several rifles and shotguns with which he has hunted enjoyably for many years. He supports hunting as long as the game laws are obeyed and gun safety practiced. However the frequent misuse of automatic weapons in well-publicized mass murders compels him to speak out against these outrages and those who oppose sensible gun control laws.

The Second Amendment to our Constitution reads as follows:

"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."

Webster's New International Dictionary, 1934 Edition states:

"In the United States the term 'militia' as used in the Constitution refers to the forces (National Guard) over which the states and the federal government have concurrent jurisdiction."

Purple belonged to such a militia from 1942 to 1953. When his unit was called to active duty during the Korean War he carefully taught his young wife how to operate the family's 1901 Springfield military rifle.

Despite the Second Amendment's apparent application only to militia, in 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that it entitled ALL citizens to own firearms. The National Rifle Association (NRA), founded in 1871 to improve military marksmanship, has become a well-financed lobbying organization dedicated to protecting, and if possible enhancing these "rights." Various states have enacted limitations on selling, carrying and use of guns, and some have not. As a result automatic weapons, including military assault rifles such as the AK-47, easily cross state borders and are widely available.

The US has more homicides per capita than any other developed nation: 10 times as many per capita as France or Australia, and 60 times as many as England. Japan has almost no homicides by firearms.

Many studies of varying validity have addressed this matter. It seems safe to say there is a correlation between availability of guns and their use in homicides. And there are regional differences. Homicides per capita are more frequent than the national average in the Mountain States (the lingering frontier mentality) and in the states of the old Confederacy. The Northeast and the Lake States fall below the national average.

The movies and television probably have hardened some people to violence, and young males may also get an ego boost when firing a powerful weapon, even if only at a target.

The automatic weapons used in the recent mass murders are designed for only one purpose – to kill people. Purple believes they should be banned from civilian society. But a friend from eastern Oregon, an avid hunter and an NRA member, told him recently: "I have no problem with outlawing automatic weapons, but the NRA has drawn a line in the sand against doing so. They believe that such a ban would only be the first step towards banning all civilian ownership of guns, which they think Obama is conspiring to do." Guess which political party the NRA favors.

Sadly, our political leaders have restricted themselves to lowering flags to half staff, and mourning over the tragedies. None has dared to propose a corrective solution. Such is the political power of the NRA, and the timidity of our politicians.

America cannot continue to allow this cancer to persist, and hope to hold the respect of nations with whom we share culture, traditions, and the hope for a better and more peaceful world. And if we cannot address this obvious character flaw, what hope is there that we can face up to the greater and more complex matters of the economy and climate disruption?