A group of Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are advocating a bill that would allow active duty members of the military and National Guard to carry weapons without permits, given recent attacks on military facilities. The lawmakers say men and women in uniform are being targeted because they represent America, and they should have the right to defend themselves.

Opponents say members of the military should not be exempt from background checks, and thus should go through the permitting process.

Once again, we see the same old problem. As things stand now, extremists and disturbed people let nothing stand in their way of obtaining weapons and killing those they target. Gun laws do nothing to stop this.

On the other hand, law-abiding citizens, including members of the military, people at schools, theater-goers and others, are left defenseless. They have to go through a process to get a permit to carry a weapon. But often they are still banned from carrying that weapon into certain buildings. So, in almost every instance, the murderers have the upper hand.

Our society still clings to the ridiculous belief that a law – words on paper – is going to stop a killer. What stops killers is forceful response. And that can only be delivered by police, ideally, but armed citizens when necessary.