Imagine a United Stated where it is illegal to own or buy a gun.

Paradise, right?

Well, you would have to set aside the premise that one of the things that keep our government honest is that so many of our citizens are armed. So let’s imagine that at no time whatsoever in our history did two generals ever sit down and over drinks discuss how much better things would run if they were in charge … but decided against it because of all these silly gun owners would object.

(At this point, you’ve pegged me as a right-wing kook. Actually, I’m a liberal leaning libertarian kook, mind you.).

But for the sake of argument, imagine it’s true. We’ve all woken up to discover that America has become the anti-gun-nut’s wet dreams. Guns cannot be owned or sold in the United States. Guns cannot be manufactured in the United States.

Call it Gun Prohibition

And the FBI actually enforces this. They will have special crews designated to root out the gangsters who will no doubt try to profit by selling guns to citizens, much in the same way they sold booze to otherwise law abiding citizens back in the roaring Twenties. The thugs who have no real problem buying guns today might have a little bit harder time getting guns, but nothing that would keep them from killing each other with the same appalling regularity they do now.

Much like Prohibition did in the 20s and 30s (and like drug laws do today) anti-gun laws will enrich the gangsters of tomorrow. And it will enrich cops too, those willing to look the other way as their good buddies go out hunting.

Naturally, there will be blood. You don’t think these gangs will divide territory amicably, do you? Oh, yes. And deranged 20-somethings upset with their mother will still grab mommy and daddy’s guns and pay a visit to local grade schools.

Back to reality …

I listened to NRA chief Wayne LaPierre give his little speech one week after the horrible crime in Newtown, CT. For someone who calls federal agents “jackbooted thugs,” he was quick to demand Congress authorize placing armed police officers inside aver school in the county. This would cost, by the Wall Street Journal’s estimate, about $6.7 BILLION. That’s “billion” with a “B.” Bear in mind that, as of this writing, President Barack Obama and House Speaker Boehner are arguing over $1 billion in tax dollars to avoid the infamous “fiscal cliff.”

Not going to happen, Wayne.

And what of those 20 kids who were gunned down? It’s absolutely tragic. Horrible news. But not all that uncommon. Granted, they were very young and the numbers were high for a single shooting. But people are shot and killed every single day. Peoria is not immune to dead teenagers.

And NONE of the ant-gun measures being discussed would have prevented any of it. The guns and the Rapid-fire magazines they used would still have been available to this shooter. The bad guys would have found SOME WAY to defeat any prohibition to get the guns they wanted to use.

Folks, laws that BAN things from happening do not actually STOP them from happening. They just set up what punishment you’ll get if you violate the law. Let me ask: Why do YOU (the reader of this article) not get an automatic weapon and take out your frustrations on the nearest kindergarteners? Is the reason you do not is that there isn’t any such law on the books now? Or, is the idea of doing so just too horrible to contemplate?

But there’s no way to say this in public without sounding like some sort of monster. Not in the first week after the shooting occurred. You also run the risk of sounding “out of tone” with the seriousness of events, much like I heard two NPR talkers say about Wayne LaPierre.

But, I am with LaPierre, at least regarding changes in gun control law. They won’t work, so don’t change them, I say. But I’m not an idiot. There’s a strong move to tighten ‘em and that might happen, regardless of how much reason and logic we pro-gun people spread around. So make the changes as painless as possible.“Ban” assault weapons, if you must. Make weapon magazines smaller so they carry less ammunition. End the gun-show loophole. These will still give the citizens access to weapons. DO NOT make is easier for the Feds to track handgun ownership. DO NOT restrict concealed carry. But, do stop trying to make teachers carry guns, inherent in the right to own a gun is the right to NOT own a gun.

We are about ready to enter the Silly Season on gun control, where good-meaning, ignorant people stomp their feet and demand the government Put Things Right.

I hope we recover.