A Clash of Titans

On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden will meet with an NRA representative, which ought to be a lively session. But will it change anything?

Sarah Brady’s been a gun control crusader for 28 years; she thinks that after the Newtown massacre the idea of bringing bring back a ban on military style weapons may have reached critical mass.

“No law is going to be perfect, but if they do help, if they save any lives they’re worth it,” said Brady.

But the NRA could make the same argument for its idea of putting armed guards in schools – if it saves any lives, it’s worth it. A gun is a tool. In the right hands, it’s a good thing.

And we’re back to the same familiar arguments. Is there anything both sides can agree on? How about this:

A rocket launcher, not just one, but two.

In Los Angeles, two rocket launchers turned up in the city’s gun buyback program.

Thankfully, they had no rockets in them. But just the same, we’d probably agree that crosses the line. Or would we?

On Monday, pro-gun talk show host Alex Jones lectured CNN’s Piers Morgan on why Americans have every right to own powerful weapons.

“The Second Amendment isn’t there for duck hunting, it’s there to protect us from tyrannical government and street thugs,” Jones told Morgan.

And to protect us from being recolonized by Brits like Piers Morgan.

“Piers,” said Jones, “don’t try what your ancestors did before.”

I didn’t realize those were the stakes. If it’s a matter of keeping Piers Morgan from taking Boston back, maybe we do need rocket launchers.