Rapaire..thanks for making the point for me that what is appropriate in Idaho is not in DC...and others have pointed out the ease of obtaining them in Virginia...and that is where many of DCs illegal guns come from. And as demographics change, it IS becoming more of a problem in VA. and other places. I disagree...for now...that gun laws should be made uniform across the country. (It is the correct theory, but is not practical until it can be reasonably controlled on the East coast as well as in Idaho or Montana...and that is gonna be tough!)

Mick...I try VERY hard to be realistic about guns being "part of the fabric of this country", but as I tried to say earlier, it simply is not a given that what made sense and was a 'tradition' once should always be so. Population density, culture ('pop' and otherwise), technology changes, demographics...etc...all affect how ANY issue (drugs, guns, autos, alcohol, voting rights,...and more) should be viewed and/or regulated.

It is a conundrum....if guns could be restricted to only sane, responsible, trained people like you and Rapaire, then you wouldn't need to carry one....but the more places that they can be obtained, the more they WILL be obtained by those who shouldn't have them. It may NEVER be a 'bloodbath', but it is worse now than it was when I was young, and I HATE the idea of it gradually becoming worse until my grandchildren MUST carry in order to feel even half-way protected.

It is my carefully considered opinion...(like, 25-35 YEARS of thinking about this in both Kansas and the DC area) that we should change some aspects of "the fabric of this country" until guns are strictly limited in caliber, use, ownership, technical construction..etc..and NOT glorified in pop culture. (No, sadly, I don't think I am likely to GET my way)

(Rapaire had it right that Hollywood MUST bear a lot of responsibility for the idea that a gun is 'the easy solution'...we have TRAFFIC altercations settled with guns here regularly!...I have twice in 7-8 years been 'dared' by obvious motions suggesting that the other driver would use a weapon if I challenged his right to be obnoxious!)...so, it's not that way in Pocatello? great! I can tell you that it didn't USE to be that way in Wichita, Kans..... but with drugs and labor problems and changing demographics and such, it is now. .....I once worked in the most upscale grocery store in the city (1963 or so)...when I went by there a few years ago, it was seedy and the office was behind bullet-proof barriers...

I could go on, but 'most' people's feelings about this issue are already set....and usually for reasons which have more to do with emotion than reason. It ends up just a matter of opinion whether it is better to get rid of most guns...or get one for yourself. In my opinion, adding that into the already complex problem of coping with life is more than I want to deal with.

(oh..by the way...tobacco (especially cigarettes) was once "part of the fabric of this country" ...it is FAR less so now...and although the issue of relevant danger is not the same...it IS possible to change that fabric over time!)