GUN DEBATE

I heard that Columbine was linked to bowling. Well, at least more so than video games or music.

I support the right to own firearms, but have zero desire to do so myself. Outlawing firearms, as many people already stated, just means that you'll have to get it illegally. Perhaps a little more difficult, but does anybody really get stressed about marijuana being illegal?

After seeing Michael Moore's film, the United States is certainly a special case when it comes to gun violence. "Bowling for Colombine" didn't provide any conclusive findings, but it did point out distinctive societal differences that might be at the heart of the problem in this country.

The other thing I just learned, most gun deaths in the U.S. are from suicides. What's up with that?

I must say that I find it difficult to defend gun ownership on the grounds of crime prevention. The odds of a gun being used this way are slim and the consequences of misuse are extreme even if unlikely. But what if I was living in the heart of the L.A. riots. What if I was a store owner being threated with knife or um...a palm frond? What if I saw a rabid dog in my neighborhood? I think these are pretty reasonable situations. Not enough so that I feel compelled to own a firearm, but enough so that I can understand why someone else would.

How ya doing, buddy?