When the Navajo Nation offered to purchase Remington Arms

As an old proverb says, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If wishes were gun control, the Navajo Nation would own Remington Arms, manufactuer of firearms. In May, the Navajo Nation made an offer to purchase Remington Arms for between $475 and $525 million.

The Navajo Nation would, they explained in their offer, expand sales to police and U.S. military, shut down production of assault rifles, sell only "long guns" or hunting rifles to civilians, move some production to the Navajo reservation and research development of "smart guns" that recognize and shoot only for the registered owner.

Remington rejected the offer. The company did not offer a reason. Perhaps it would like more money. Or perhaps it did not like the proffered business plan.

The Navajo Nation offer is the sort of stuff I dream about: that arms manufacturers develop their shelved patents for civilian products; that pharmaceuticals pay back federal research dollars by embracing drug production for small markets; that full-time workers earn living wages.

I do know that we cannot live in a just world unless we are able to envision that world. The Navajo Nation is right on.