In a vote of 54 Yea to 46 Nay, the United States Senate failed to pass a gun control Amendment.  The Amendment required 60 Yea votes for passage.  Four Republicans voted for the Amendment and four Democrats voted against the Amendment.  When it became clear the Amendment didn’t have the votes, Democrat Harry Reid voted Nay in order to ensure the ability to revisit the measure. Following the vote, a clearly angry President Obama said, “it’s a pretty shameful day for Washington” and “Who are we here to represent?”  According to some polls, 90% of Americans favor stricter gun laws. There have been many accusations leveled against the right and the power of the NRA but in the end it was more about the difficulty some had with passing a gun Amendment.  Amendments, historically, don’t pass easily.  There is a finality regarding an amendment.  Once passed, it can’t easily be reversed.  To gun owners, and Senators from states where guns are more prevalent, there is a fear, regardless of what those on the left may say, about being the first step in the eventual removal of guns from legal gun owners.  Look at how abortion laws have been eroded and made virtually impossible for women to get in some states and no one seems to be paying attention.  The fear of gun owners is not unwarranted or unprecedented.  Furthermore, gun owners are at least intelligent enough to understand that no matter what laws are passed, a bad person with bad intentions, will accomplish his mission.  In a democracy no law can stop the freedom of the individual to perpetrate harm.  No gun laws or restrictions will even make it more difficult for someone with evil intent to obtain a firearm.  It’s a farce.  It’s simply a smokescreen to make people who feel helpless, feel better.  If someone can plant bombs at one of the most important athletic events held in this country, what are the odds of stopping one man from shooting or even stabbing multiple people?  There is only one answer to those opposed to gun ownership, protect people from the bad guys.  Armed guards at the entrances to schools is only a starting point. But in the end there is only one true answer and acceptable response to violence of any kind, and that is living life as we always have.  We can’t let the one or two evil individuals scare us in to living in fear.  Release all those people in our jails serving time for drug offenses and lock up the “real” bad guys.  Families or friends need to report to authorities those individuals who may be unstable and speaking of hurting people.  There were signs, simple signs prior to the Newtown shooting.  Why doesn’t anyone discuss that?  It’s just easier to point to the weapon as the culprit.  Society needs to be fixed, every bit as much and more than the gun laws.