Uilleand--well said.

All,

I'd be interested to hear more from theb non-U.S. Mudders, especially those in the UK, on what it's like in societies with severely restrictive gun laws; do people care? why not? how much safer is it? and in the UK, how did the gun owners react to the passing of tougher laws in the wake of the Dunblane killings?

And to all: what's so different in the U.S.? It seems to me that the Second Amendment has been exploited to suit the whims of the NRA. But then what's behind Americans' fierce desire to own firearms? The right wing government hating militiamen are in the minority (for now) so what drives everyone else? Surely it's not target practice and hunting for sport?