Dear Kat. I too, was taught respect for the gun, its proper use and safe handling. The last thing I ever want to do is be forced to use one in a confrontation which threatens my life or the lives of my family. These are all choices we have to make individually. I taught my children the same. And I believe the much maligned NRA also promotes the same.

But when the political aspects of gun ownership and regulation is the topic the discourse changes. The freedom and rights of the citizens presents a problem. Freedom means the right to determine your own course. Freedom is a dangerous thing. Each person must shoulder the responsibility for proper behavior. There is a big difference between freedom and license. Freedom means you are free to do the right thing. License means you are free to do anything you want. I don't believe they are teaching that difference in the schools today. The NRA's legislative goals are to protect the second amendment rights. Everyone has the right to defend their life, the lives of their families and friends and neighbors and ultimately the right and responsibility to defend their nation. They firmly believe that without this right the nation would sooner or later degenerate into a tyranny with NO rights of the individual. And this was the exact same fear that was expressed by the Founding Fathers and the framers of our Constitution.