I own guns. Pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns. I use them for various types of target shooting, of the sort done in the Olympics. I no longer hunt; my last hunting trip consisted of sitting around a wood stove with my brothers and friends, drinking coffee, eating doughnuts, and swapping lies -- it was a good hunt.

I'm not frightened and I'm not afraid of regulation (there is some and I suspect that there is more coming) that's not an ill considered, panicked response to something awful. The best thing that could happen, in my opinion, is for everyone to sit down, exchange rational dialogue, come up with a plan, pass it into law, and be done with it.

All towns in Ye Olde Weste than I'm aware of had laws against carrying guns in town and against concealed weapons. Yes, even Dodge City, no matter what Marshal Dillon would have you believe...and after the gunfight with Phil Coe (look it up) there is no indication that even James Butler Hickok ever shot anyone again (he was marshal in both Hays and Abilene, KS, but not in Dodge City).

Yes, I agree with those Olde Weste laws, and I'm one of the vast majority who do NOT carry a gun as part of my daily wardrobe (I might possibly carry a sword though, were it legal). I do travel with a gun -- from my home to the target range and back -- but not otherwise. And I respect the laws of other nations (and States) and would not intentionally break any of them, whether I disagree with them or not.

I can serve as an example for others, especially children, but I don't have the money to do much else about gun control or a lot of other things. In the meantime, my firearms are securely locked up separate from what little ammunition I have in the house and I try to follow all the rules for gun safety.

Sorry for the long posting.