The shoot-out on a Virginia baseball field that left Republican whip Steve Scalise, a lobbyist and two police officers wounded shows how madcap some US politicians have become.
Rather than look at the country’s passion for guns and the laws that govern who can carry such lethal weapons, they are calling for the right to carry firearms and more protection away from the centre of government.
They seem to have missed the cause of the problem – laws that allow too many easy access to deadly firepower.
After a string of school shootings, rising gun crime and now an incident that has struck at those cocooned in the safe bubble at the heart of government, the first call is for more armed security.
To stop the shootings, they believe the answer is more guns, when surely the problem is too many guns in the hands of the wrong people.
Unreported incidents
The Virginia shoot-out is believed to involve an angry gunman protesting about the election of president Donald Trump.
Armed with a rifle and pistol, more than 50 shots were exchanged and several bystanders were left wounded.
The same day, six people were shot dead and two wounded in firearms incidents within 50 miles of the shoot-out.
Within 12 hours, another three gun deaths were reported in a San Francisco shooting which ended with the killer turning his gun on himself.
The US is so inured to gun crime that incidents barely go reported unless they involve school children or celebrities.
The gun lobby is in denial and trying to deflect blame by asking if the guns involved were held legally.
They are also asking about the shooter’s mental state.
Violence tolerated for too long
The message should be the ordinary people in America have tolerated violence from firearms for too long.
A freedom deemed necessary in a different time is no reason for keeping the right to bear arms in perpetuity.
Trump and the Republicans campaigned on a pro-gun platform.
Some believe they are reaping what they sowed, although any right thinking individual hopes everyone involved in the shootings recovers.
With 5 million members, the National Rifle Association is a minority group in the US which seems to have influence beyond its numbers.
Let’s hope NRA lobbyists will become less welcome next time the urge the Republicans to support their point of view.