OneOnlineCommunity Contributor Dave Mishur

Guns have been in the news lately. And this is not surprising, for firearms are legendary in our country, the right to their ownership enshrined in the constitution itself. Where would John Wayne be without guns, and, more importantly, where would America be without John Wayne?

The latest controversy over weaponry comes about as an outfit called Starbucks attempts to deal with various state laws that allow open possession of loaded guns in public places. Now, one may argue that a Starbucks outlet is not a public place, and one would be right; but, while a store has the final say on the presence of those carrying heat within its premises, a store can rightly take the money of all who wish to avail themselves of its wares, and so let those well-armed to give their order to the barista in charge.

This does not sit well with those made more than somewhat uncomfortable by the presence of a Glock or Smith & Wesson bulging in the pocket of another customer’s Armani jacket. Therefore, large masses of people are letting Starbucks, and other companies, know that they are unhappy with the decision to allow the potential for gunfire to impede the enjoyment of their double lattes. The OK Corral looms in their minds, and the concept is definitely not OK with them.

Some have made the argument that guns decrease crime. Indeed, there is a series of Burma Shave-style signs along I-55 as it heads south from Pontiac expressing that very thought. And one can ask if the monster at Fort Hood would have opened fire on his fellow soldiers if he knew that they were all armed to the teeth and could well blow his head off before he fired his second shot. In fact it was a shot from an armed MP that finally brought the slaughter to a halt.

But that still doesn’t make the latte lovers at Starbucks feel any safer. However, one might ask them, if some nut comes in here and starts blasting away with a Kalashnikov wouldn’t it be nice if the guy behind you in the Armani jacket could pull out his Glock and put an end to the fireworks? Yes, it does bring to mind an image of the Old West, yet cowboy movies were once a staple of American family weekends, with the good guys always winning and the bad guys getting blown away.

In case you’re thinking you can head to one of our 392 national parks to avoid potential gunfire, think again. For, in 370 of those parks, according to the Washington Times, visitors may carry loaded weapons, although they must be concealed. This is a comforting thought. The guns, and the protection they afford, are there but you don’t have to look at them. They may be buried deeper and out of sight in the Armani jacket but they’re still available for use if and when needed.

There is an interesting sideline to this story, and it concerns the convoluted manner in which our legislative process works. The provision allowing guns in national parks was amended to the bill, recently enacted, that put all sorts of new restrictions on the credit card industry. As that bill and the protections it provides to creditors was widely touted as a great service to the people of this land, it had to be passed or great embarrassment to the administration would ensue. Therefore, the president, no great gun lover, signed it into law. This action netted him a grade of “F“ from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Oklahoma Senator, Republican Tom Coburn, was the brains behind this particular amendment, and he’s regarded as a hero by some for bringing it about. Indeed, Rep. Rob Bishop, Utah Republican, says that if there is “anything positive that’s come out of this Congress … this is it.” Forget the benefits of the credit card reform legislation, which will allow many debtors to sleep at night; packing a pistol is more important. After all, firearms are covered by the constitution, while credit cards are not even mentioned.

Let us not get too agitated in our tut-tutting about these various gun laws. Our society is saturated with guns, just as a cadaver is pumped full of embalming fluid. While watching the Honda Classic golf tournament with my good friend, Jesus Calle, at his wonderful La Mex restaurant, I was amazed at the guns that appeared on the screen. No, not on the golf course itself, although some excellent shots were fired there. But on the omnipresent commercials for upcoming network programs. Everywhere you look there are guns pointed at you. It’s enough to make one paranoid.

But this evidently is what our movie and cable and network TV producers feel we want, and, judging by the monetary success of such productions, they’re right. So, if you are comfortable watching people being blown away on the screen, and letting your kids blast their enemies with a video game, why get incensed about the real thing right at the table next to you?

E-Mail Dave Mishur: Dave.Mishur@OneOnlineCommunity.com

Opinions and views are those of Dave Mishur.