Reading Elfers’ column, “Where to place the blame for mass shootings,” published Aug. 14, 2019, reminded me of my one favorite scenes in Michael Moore’s cult documentary film, “Bowling for Columbine.”

In the documentary, the intellectual, frumpy and unassuming Moore, interviews the then-NRA President and actor of “Ben Hur” fame Charleston Heston in Heston’s backyard.

Moore questions Heston about some recent mass shootings. Heston appears to be and is flummoxed, visibly nervous, is tongue-tied and mumbles incoherent answers.

There were no prepared rousing lines for Heston to recite and there was no teleprompter available for him to say something about “cold dead hands.”

Eventually, the frustrated Heston rises from his chair, fails to utter a good-bye to Moore and limps off to re-enter his house. What does Heston’s behavior suggest? The NRA seems to lack a conscience. The NRA has no intellectual integrity and lacks the moral courage to do the right thing in order to end the proliferation of gun violence in this country.

Stanley McKie

Enumclaw