COMMENT | “Crooks are many. Cops are few. Crooks have guns. Why can’t you?” I recall this slogan on a Texan freeway when I visited San Antonio more than a decade ago. This still holds today.

The mass murder at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24 brought back imageries of my short stay in Texas where it’s legal to carry handguns in public places.

There, I met a friend. He owned several guns, all locked up in his apartment drawers. For safety, he said. And, there are rules all gun owners should know.

Always assume a gun is loaded. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire. Never aim your gun at people. Only point your gun at a target that you’re ready to destroy. Logical? Yes.

But with different handguns displayed on a coffee table, my logic was shot. Those guns, although unloaded, felt alive.

What would happen if...