I don't care much what DC does, Bobert. As long as they don't do it to me I'm okay with it.

Actually, I have no beef with reasonable firearms regulations. Illinois licenses gun owners and I have not problem with that. I have no problem with being checked out by the cops before I get a concealed weapons permit, or attending mandatory classes.

It's the irrational that I object to. It's the knee-jerk, thoughtless, feel-good laws that make the legislators feel like they've solved a problem (and not just firearms!) that I object to. One very good example is the USA Patriot Act, another is "airline security."

As for crimes -- if you have a firearm in your possession when you commit a crime, any crime, tack at least an additional 5 years without parole onto the sentence. If you wound someone with firearm while commiting a crime, tack on 10 years. If you kill someone with a firearm while you are committing a crime, sorry Charlie -- merely having the firearms should be prima facie evidence that you planned to use it and hence you face a Murder One rap as well as the crime time.