A Visit with Ben

BZAP

“Hello, Mr. Franklin.”

“Well met, stranger. Wither are thou from, with such odd attire?”

“I’m from the future, and I wanted to ask your opinion on something.”

“Prithy do so.”

“In the future, we have two sciences, psychology and psychiatry, that can accurately tell if a person is mentally ill.”

“Quite the wonder.”

“Indeed. Also, unlike your single-shot muskets that take a solid minute to reload with one poorly shaped round ball, we have small hand guns that can hold over a dozen highly-machined bullets designed specifically to tear apart a person’s insides, and which can be fired at a speed of one bullet per second, sometimes even faster. We also have rifles that can hold dozens of bullets at once, and shoot them at a speed of several per second, just by the user pulling the trigger.”

“Gadzooks! Such power in the hands of one individual!”

“Yes. My question to you, sir, is this: Do you believe people who have been diagnosed as mentally ill should be allowed to purchase, own, and secretly carry such firearms as the ones I just described?”

“Verily, I would say NO to such a proposition! I dare say I would find pause in allowing such a destructive weapon to be held by ANY man, save in the service of his country.”

“But what of the second amendment to the Constitution? And what of your statement that those who would give up a little liberty for a little safety deserve neither?”

“Sir, you take my words too literally! The laws of men are only as sound as those who interpret them. To suggest that a private citizen – worse, a madman – be allowed to carry the firepower of a whole platoon! Ridiculous!”

“Thank you, sir. I feel the same way. Now I must return to my own time and write about this exchage on Facebook.”

BZAP

“A whole book of faces? Extraordinary!”