The Second Amendment text is pretty straightforward. Sure, that introductory clause has caused some confusion, but usually only in those who want to be confused.

Yet despite that straightforward text, there’s a whole lot of discussion about it.

Former President Barack Obama, for example, claimed some of us “cling to guns or religion or antipathy…as a way to explain their frustrations.” He never really got why we “cling” to things like guns or our faith.

But now he thinks he knows what this nation needs. It needs to “reshape” our attitudes about guns.

Former President Barack Obama says public attitudes around gun rights have to be reshaped.

…

In an interview with Burleson, Obama offered some ideas on the topic of gun violence.

“Now, part of that work has to be done not just in those communities that already want to do something about gun violence. We have to also actively reach out to communities where gun ownership is an important tradition, right?” Obama said.

Obama went on to argue that what he wants to do is have a discussion where he argues that the tradition of gun ownership is fine, but we should address “the flood of military-grade weapons on the streets.”

Again, he reiterates the whole “we don’t want to ban all guns” mantra that so many try to claim. Unfortunately, at least one of his buddies let the mask slip already.

The problem, though, is that the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting or even a tradition of gun ownership. It’s about having the means to defend this nation in the hands of private citizens, even if it needs defending from our own government.

That means so-called military-grade weapons or better need to be in the hands of the ordinary citizen. We need those weapons and any effort to bar our access to them is little more than laying the groundwork for tyrants.

Granted, Obama doesn’t care anything about that. That’s not his schtick and never has been. I personally always figured he’s upset he didn’t get to become the tyrant in question, but that’s just me.

The desire to “reshape” attitudes around guns is a matter of free speech. I cannot and will not try to stop it because I will not tolerate anyone trying to stop my speech.

But it can be countered, and it needs to be. The American people need to understand a few facts, particularly about these “military-grade weapons” Obama is so hot and bothered about.

For example, there are nearly 25 million of them in the hands of private citizens, yet we only hear about a tiny number being used for anything illegal each year. How tiny? We can generally count most of them we hear about on our fingers.

During that same year, there are tens of thousands of examples of law-abiding citizens using such weapons lawfully, either for recreational or sporting purposes or for self-defense.

It seems to me that while Obama is trying to reshape attitudes around guns, maybe what he should focus on is reshaping attitudes many have that disregard human life at every opportunity.