Peter;

I agree with you that law-abiding gun owners are not the problem (although the real militant types who like to crow about how powerful their weapons are scare me a little) and I see no real solution to the situation as it is now, except to say that tighter restrictions MIGHT help the problem, and law-abiding, responsible gun owners might have to accept some restrictions to allow for the law to reign in the other assholes out there. The "outlaws and guns" thing has never made me sneer, merely shake my head, because it just isn't that simple. As for the Bill of Rights applying to ever-changing technology, I don't think this is a semantics problem (which you seem to be turning it into) but one of looking at each situation on its own separate terms. And I still don't think the issues at the heart of these two things are similar in the way you are insisting. But I do agree (??) the amendments need to be changed to reflect reality.

Big Mick:

If you actually bothered to read my posts, instead of deciding I am just some emotion-driven female who can't string a logical argument together (despite your vaunted "feminist" stance, sorry, but men who need to brag about how evolved they are, usually aren't), you'd know what I have to say on the subject. I never said anyone's right to own a gun should be taken away, so to ask me to explain "the problem that justifies your opinion that I should lose a very valuable right?" isn't actually worth pursuing, since, if you really WERE interested in my opinion, you'd have already sussed out that it's rather more complex and thoughtful than what you are assuming.

But you wish to take it personally and label me a Polyannaish fear-monger who wants all guns locked up and away from the big dangerous men. (sigh) If that's the way anyone who is not entirely pro-gun, nor entirely anti-gun, is going to be categorized by you, I'd say this discussion is no longer worth pursuing.

BTW, you don't seem to have insulted any of the MEN in this discussion who have disagreed with you; hence my calling attention to your rather sexist tone. If that makes me "guilty of sexism," well, so be it. At least I am also aware of what it is.