Gun violence needs to stop

Regarding your excellent editorial on gun violence: Indeed it must stop! We are an insanely wounded nation. These wounds were self-inflicted by home-grown terrorists and ISIS sympathizers who found easy access to our immense supply of guns and ammunition.

The insanity is that although we know what to do to significantly reduce this carnage, a Republican-led Congress is unwilling to do so.

In 1789, those who wrote the Second Amendment intended that citizens bear arms (muskets) for military purposes, a collective right for common defense. There was no consideration of an individual right to a gun for self-defense, an interpretation the NRA pushes now like it's a sacred right.

If Congress can't act on gun violence because of the NRA and the Second Amendment, then we must act on the Second Amendment. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, in his recent book "Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution," says that five words "when serving in the militia" should be added to the Second Amendment. An amended Second Amendment would be: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed." This is what the founders intended.

Sadly, there will be more unless Congress finds the courage to neuter the NRA, restore the meaning of the Second Amendment (or repeal it), and pass effective gun control legislation.

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Gun violence needs to stop."