This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Whenever any of us see a private citizen with an assault weapon we quickly come to the obvious and correct conclusion: This guy is nuts and it's wise to leave the scene.
So, as we begin another national discussion on gun control, let's stipulate that a private citizen who feels the need for an assault weapon is mentally ill with an advanced case of paranoia. Once we've established that ground rule, and since we are unanimously agreed that the mentally ill should not have access to guns, the discussion can speed quickly to the obvious conclusion: Assault weapons should be banned — end of discussion.
The sad, circular fact is that we live in an insane asylum, and the National Rifle Association is the warden. Those who are sane, to preserve their own lives, have to pretend that those in charge are not nuts.
Alert! Don't ever tell a private citizen with an assault weapon they are nuts. Their most likely response is to prove it.
Joe Watts
Murray