One doesn’t need a doctorate in astrophysics to understand the problems with the Second Amendment. Two-hundred and forty years ago, in those days of weapons capable of firing one or two shots per minute, a few good Americans foresaw the need for self-protection. Most had no police departments and the military, much like today’s National Guard, was an ad hoc, part-time security force.

Welcome to America 2016, where almost any citizen, rational or not, can buy military-style guns capable of firing several bullets a second. Only a fool would believe our Founding Fathers had any inkling of what was to come.

Whenever there is a mass shooting like Orlando’s, the national media reports that terrorists are among us, and what is Congress going to do? This selective reporting, perhaps to attract more viewers and boost revenues, does a disservice to everyone. We’ve developed our own insidious form of underreported terrorism.

Every day 82 Americans die from gunshots and more are wounded, but these acts are too diverse to garner national media attention. With 300 million guns in circulation and Second Amendment rights issues a hotbed of discourse, these weapons are not going away. Only with laws that punish those selling or acquiring unregistered firearms can we move toward a safer less lawless country.

Congress must require that every semi-automatic weapon, its serial number and/or its ballistic fingerprint be identified, along with the owner. For every change of ownership, a background check and gun database update must be mandatory. This is one small step for America but a giant step for our security.