The National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre, facing an overwrought nation after the heartbreaking tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary that left 20 children and six adults dead, made no concessions on strengthening laws on the sale of firearms, which is favored by 74 percent of NRA members.

Nor were there any concession made on large capacity magazines for guns that fire 45 rounds a minute. LaPierre's solution is, you guessed it, more guns, placing armed guards in every one of the nation's 98,817 schools.

In the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, a sheriff's deputy exchanged fire with the shooters and still they killed 12 other students and a teacher. Money for guards or SWAT-trained teachers would be better spent on providing schools with mental health resources.

The implacable resistance to any and all regulations related to the sale and ownership of guns is not found in other areas where public safety is a concern. Building codes provide for emergencies. The steady improvement in cars and in highway construction prevents and mitigates accidents.

The paranoia of a future dystopia where guns are taken away has led to a present dystopia where inaction guarantees gun violence will continue unabated.

MICKEY BEARY, Richland