The whole country mourns the latest tragedy involving a sick individual armed to the teeth, and my heart aches for the parents and families who lost their sweet little ones. Unless the Second Amendment is challenged, this will not be the last tragedy involving deadly weapons.

The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness should be more important than the right to bear arms. The time to enact stricter laws against possessing assault weapons is now. We cannot allow another tragedy like Newtown to occur.

And while we're at it let's just get the idea out of our heads that an armed populace can protect us against a hostile "takeover" by our own government. A handgun is not going to stop a tank rolling down the street. Gun control advocates have been silenced for too long by the extreme right wing and their bullying tactics against elected officials who even dare to suggest more comprehensive gun control.

No more Columbines, Newtowns, Auroras or Oakwoods ever.