Gun Control
I’m very conflicted on gun control and the second amendment to the constitution. I’m a strong believer in the Bill of Rights, but I don’t like guns. At the moment, I currently fall into the “I believe in the second amendment” camp, but I’m very wary of those who derive so much enjoyment from practicing it. Of course, a government that disallows its citizenry from arming itself is setting itself up to be beyond their reach and become totalitarian.  But I don’t think that’s likely to happen in the immediate future, as much as I despise this particular administration.
I’ve lived over 36 years on this planet without the need to use a gun. The only time I’ve ever fired one was a shotgun at a target on a weekend trip. Aside from insects (and two unfortunate occasions when I hit a road-critter with my car), I’ve never taken a life. I’m the last person who is likely to exercise my second amendment rights, but I know why they’re there and I’m becoming okay with that. I just think there needs to be some sort of control on the free flow of guns, and I don’t think that’s counter to the spirit of that amendment.
I just read a particularly excellent write-up detailing how wrong some of these people extolling the virtues of carry permits are. Whenever something happens such as the shooting at Virginia Tech, the gun control advocates pipe up, and the pro-gun folks shout that if we were all armed this wouldn’t happen.
More guns won’t solve this. I encourage you to read the link — it’s quite good.
I’ve read the essay by Captain Frogbert, and it _is_ good. However much you want to be a “hero”, shooting someone is still a killing and shouldn’t be done lightheartedly for moral reasons. Don’t you have a death penalty for killings in most of your states anyway (exceopt for some recently-passed lunatic laws about “self defense” in some states like Florida)? This means that you may get killed even if no round fired finds your way, and even years later. So, think twice before pulling the trigger!
But this kind of arms usage wasn’t what prompted the Second Amendment, if I’m not seriously mistaken. You, Stace, imho _vastly_ underestimate the problems with your government going totalitarian, and while I don’t want to disturb your optimism too much, I can tell you that _my_ government _is_ actually going totalitarian, and was doing much less so in times when there actually _was_ armed opposition (however feeble). Please also take into account that a general ban on arms would first and foremost mean that only the authorities and the bad guys will have arms, while the good guys are left in the dust. This is not an acceptable solution from where I stand. So, please do yourself a favour and keep your Second Amendment. Once it’s gone, you’ll have a very hard time getting it back should you, at some time, come to the conclusion that you need it.