It's funny, because I think the ones who brook no discussion of intelligent gun ownership want to *enact* the tyranny, and the rise of gun bullying since the Obama years, when armed vigilantes would show up to intimidate town hall meetings, not to mention race- and gender-based mass shootings, don't disabuse me of that notion.

That said, I understand why Americans want them *today*. Y'all be crazy. Not kidding. All of you.

Guns weren't demonized back in the '60s because the NRA hadn't been taken over by loons yet. But crime *was* bad back then and things spiraled out of control. I don't think everyone needs guns and the research on this is quite quite clear - in countries with unfettered access to guns, the violence is *way* higher. The US is a bit of an outcast as far as the rest of the West is concerned. Just look at Australia - they got rid of a lot of guns after one or two bad mass shootings and their gun violence went way down. Same in Scotland after the Dunblane massacre.

Since I don't have to live in the Ignited States anymore I don't have the passionate feelings about guns as I once have - I'm just glad I live in a place that can seriously clear your head about it. Dave, you're living in a very real climate of fear, just as people were back in the '60s and I understand that, but just know...it doesn't have to be like that, and guns are part of the problem, not the solution. (Not unless the solution to the opioid problem is more opioids, and the growing abortion rate is more abortion clinics, and the spiralling alcohol problem--more alcohol--you get the picture.

I'm just saying...when you live in the middle of a violent shitstorm, you can lose sight of the fact that *there are alternatives*.

And they don't even involve a *total* ban on guns.

Just idiots with guns. No matter what their political philosophy.