It should have been a fistfight.

Men can get angry and aggressive and have been known to use their fists against a “rival.” There is nothing unusual about that. Whatever the argument was that started the conflict at the Kansas City Chiefs celebration should have resulted in, at worst, a black eye or bloody nose.

But these men had guns. And they shot at each other. They hit a lot of other people in that crowd and killed one of them. Children were shot. Because these men had guns.

How? Why? Because we in America have refused to do deal with our too-easy access to weapons. Thus, instead of punches being thrown, shots were fired.

An innocent woman was killed. Eleven children were injured. Hundreds or thousands of ordinary citizens were traumatized.

All because some men had guns.

Stephen Carnahan, Auburn