Teenagers and the Second Amendment

The kids are on the march and they're angry. Not all of the bullets fired in their direction have missed, and the next round could take them out as well. "Enough is enough," remains their anthem, but is anyone really listening? If the movement went away tomorrow, would they be remembered for anything more than their youthful exuberance?

There is no denying that they are articulate and even photogenic, but they have ever so much to overcome and such a small window of opportunity to do it in.

And then there's the NRA. Are we to believe that they're going to simply watch from afar as a fresh generation of principled voters strikes at the heart of their moneymaking scheme? After all, spilled blood and destroyed lives, unfortunate as they may be, are merely collateral damages to Mr. LaPierre and his cohorts.

It's really all about the sales numbers for their instruments of death, from handguns to assault weapons.

What has real meaning is the reactions of our elected officials. Are they hoping that these teens (with notoriously short attention spans) soon get over themselves and return to their video games?

Or will common sense and the sheer determination of these youthful crusaders ultimately seize the day - as well as the hearts and minds of our legislators?

Bob Ory

Elgin