It always blows my mind when someone I talk to says something like, "I don't believe in guns." In fact that phrase outright ticks me off.
This isn't some existential being we are trying to have faith in. It isn't a dream or a nightmare, it's a tool you can hold in your hand and no matter how hard you dream or pray, they aren't going away. It is a tool, and like every other tool, the work it does is based on the person using that tool. I am sure Da Vinci didn't look at paint brushes and say "I do not believe in those."
The vast majority of the estimated 250 million guns in the U.S. are lawfully owned. Just because a few idiots go on psychopathic rampages doesn't mean the tool is the cause of the problem. These assholes are just sick. Then could have done their bad deed with a steak knife, a screwdriver, or any number of chemicals.
I own guns. I shoot guns. I do not hunt. My idea of a good hunting trip is making from my house to Safeway and back without spending too much money and without getting dents in my car. I am not a huge fan of hunting, but I do not stop someone else from doing it.
I enjoy shooting at paper targets, coke cans, and errant pumpkins that cross my path. Except for the pumpkins, I clean up after myself and try not to leave any mess in the places I shoot. The pumpkins...well, they are biodegradable and since there never seemed to be any sign of them when I went back a few weeks later, I assume the local wildlife enjoyed them. Bonus for them.
Oh.. and Merry Christmas
