By Tom Nelson, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

To those cynics who think Congress doesn’t accomplish anything and avoids making needed decisions, please note that a major legislative event took place last week. Congress took long overdue action and made it legal to carry guns on Amtrak. I have no doubt that ridership will shoot up.

I remember reading that in the 19th Century, at least one of the railroads traversing the Great Plains sponsored excursion trips where travelers could shoot buffalo out the window. Alas, the free-roaming buffalo are gone. Yes there are lots of cows along the rights-of-way, but the windows on Amtrak don’t open. Maybe Congress could take this up next.