Kevin never addresses one of my core arguments, which is that embracing unrestricted gun access is bad politics. For a conservative, that might seem too unprincipled. After all, Republicans such as John Boehner worry about things like elections, deals, and compromises. They concern themselves with silly trifles like what other people think, how things are perceived, and how to ensure their party has a seat at the table. Conservatives, apparently, stick to principles — all the way down to the bottom of the ocean.

Nor does Kevin suggest how we might address massacres such as the one that occurred at Sandy Hook, although he does point out rightly that even the cops are bad guys sometimes, and that power corrupts. Perhaps the answer to Sandy Hook is we do nothing. They are, after all, “unusual” and “come out of nowhere.” Perhaps we are okay with the police functioning as a “janitorial service” for dead five- and six-year-olds.

I do not suggest that Kevin, or any conservative that I know for that matter, takes this horror lightly. We can debate whether more guns make us safer and whether each school should have armed guards — that may be a very viable option, although perhaps not the only one. I certainly do not accept, however, that we are powerless to do anything to lessen the chances of another Sandy Hook.