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Sponsored by Republican Representative King of New York, HR1217 is a bill "To protect Second Amendment rights, ensure that all individuals who should be prohibited from buying a firearm are listed in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and provide a responsible and consistent background check process." I think Democrat Thompson of California co-wrote it.

A bill to protect rights, to prohibit those who shouldn't participate and close the so-called gun show loophole.

With protection like that, we don't need gun grabbers. I am all for prohibiting those who shouldn't have guns from getting them. Unfortunately, down the road "we", meaning national leadership, would decide none of us should have guns.

Better by far to have one nitwit dancing the Macarena in the town square with an assault rifle than universal gun prohibition, which would make some legislators do their happy dance, and others write very stern letters of protest. None would stand up and be truly counted when it hit the fan.

For instance, on March 2nd, State Senators sent a letter to Washington asking for relief from Medicaid cost. I think the problem is Federal requirements will push Medicaid from 18% of the State's budget to 33%, or something like that. Maybe it's Medicare - but the protest is over Federal health care requirements going through the roof for Texas.

There are two possible results from the letter. The most likely is the letter will go in the White House's recycle bin along with their junk mail and nothing will come of it.

The worst is that Texas will succeed - and that will be bad because there will be bargaining or political capital expended in the victory. If we gain something, it will be at the cost of another banana peel farther down the slippery slope.

A true victory would best come from a letter starting out with, "When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary..."

That, of course, would be unthinkable. We rush to assure the Federal government such extremism is off the table, and encourage them to put us to the test so we can show, again and again and again, how nothing will prompt so much as discourtesy from our lawmakers.

Or so I see it. Maybe I'm just jaundiced. Or maybe a 3 AM crisis call from work toppled my natural optimism. if so, I'll get better.