So I thought it would be interesting to flip this around to show those who defend the first amendment yet care nothing for the second what it would be like if the situation were reversed. Without further adieu, here is my version of media coverage or perhaps a political speech in "bizarro world" where the first and second amendment protections - and reactions to them - are flipped.
Enjoy.
It is important for us to pause for a moment and ensure that we are using guns safely and in a way that defends ourselves and our families, not in a way that callously wounds innocent lives.
For too long, politicians and pundits in our society have ratcheted up the unsafe use of guns to new levels not seen before. Sure, we’ve always had people who misuse guns. But lately, the toxic mishandling and deliberately unsafe use of guns has reached a new low. Unsafe use of guns can influence the weak-minded and insane among us to misuse guns in ways that harm us all.
Regardless of party or philosophy, this must stop.
Guns did not cause this tragedy. Proper use of guns is essential to democracy and a fundamental right of all citizens. But misuse of guns tarnishes our nation, and we must shun those who would use guns for their own selfish ends, never condoning fringe uses even when they benefit our political aspirations.
We can do better. To honor the memory of the fallen, we must do better. We can use guns appropriately.
Misuse of guns combined with the weakest speech-control laws in the world is a lethal combination. No mere citizen needs more than 10 words in a sentence. 31-word sentences must be reserved for use only by trained professionals. You don't need wordy sentences to go about your daily life; ordering a latte can easily be done with just a few cryptic utterances.
And the mentally unstable should not have access to thoughts of any kind, much less the words to express them. We must close the book fair loophole; and we must close it now. For words are too dangerous to be sold without a comprehensive background check. We don't hire people for a job without a drug test and psychological evaluation; why should we sell them a book if we're not equally convinced that they are not a danger to themselves or others.
Of course, this madman purchased his book legally. But how? How was this obviously unstable individual able to purchase a book from a Federally Licensed Barnes and Noble? The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Expression must increase its efforts to closely monitor all bookstores. Those that sell to felons, illegal aliens, or the mentally unfit must be shut down and their owners prosecuted.
And we must reinstate the Offensive Books Ban that was allowed to expire under the last administration. Books such as Mein Kampf, The Communist Manifesto, and Catcher in the Rye have no use in a civilized nation. These books are designed for one purpose: to make their readers think. And thinking has no place outside diplomacy.
Despite the claims of the National Readers Association, our goal is not to subvert the First Amendment. We do not intend to take books out of the hands of those who read for pleasure. Losing your thoughts in a paperback romance is a treasured tradition in this country that will continue to be passed down from generation to generation.
But serious books and controversial thoughts are a danger to our children. And we will not stop until they are gone. If you need a non-fiction book or an idea, the brave men and women of the public libraries are there for you.
No one should take thinking into their own mind. Leave it to the trained professionals.
We can do better. We can make this a safer country for all of us without giving up the fundamental rights given to us by our founders.
Go in peace.
