The gun nuts, er, I mean, "sportsmen" living in suburbia who have never went hunting in their lives are making the case that they have a RIGHT to protect themselves!

I agree.

But in 2008 our self-defense technology has advanced waaay beyond muskets.

We have tasers, pepper spray and a wide, wide assortment of nonlethal self-defense tools.

But none of the anti-gun regulation proponents want that.

That want, no, they demand something lethal.

So this isn't a self-defense issue so much as a psychological one (imho). They are afraid. Very, very afraid and it seems the only thing that will make them feel safe is lethal force. If they can't kill, they don't feel protected. Protecting themselves without killing the criminal isn't enough apparently.

So the first question is: Why do these anti gun regulation supporters absolutely reject any and all nonlethal self defense technologies and are only willing to accept lethal?

The next question that was never really answered is: why is it that the Hispanic population, the African American Population, The Asian population...why is it NONE of these groups are so obsessed with making more handguns legally available?

Is it that Asian-Americans never get robbed? Why aren't they as obsessed with carrying handguns as their white middle-American counterparts?

Are Hispanics perfectly safe walking down the street 24hrs a day?

Why is it that it is only white Americans that feel terrified and feel they will be attacked at any moment?

I'm just making an observation.

It seems really, really odd that white Americans seem to be the only group in this great melting pot obsessed with acquiring handguns for protection -- why do they feel so much more threatened than any of the other ethnic groups?

Are they statistically more likely to be victims of a crime -- or is it just a fear born of cultural paranoia?

Are Asian Americans much safer than whites?

Are African Americans much safer from crime than whites?

Or do the statistics indicate that whites on average are MUCH safer from crime then any other ethnic group.

Well if they are safer -- why are they more afraid of being attacked?

This is a white issue.

No other ethnic group in the US is marching on Washington obsessed with getting a handgun. The people living with gun violence every single day in South Central LA incredibly aren't asking for their own handguns...they're demanding tighter regulations to get them off the streets. Because they know (something suburban Mid-westerners apparently don't) that carrying a gun doesn't make you any safer.

Most Crips and Bloods are heavily, heavily armed every single day (legally or not) and guess what? They usually end up getting SHOT! Didn't exactly work to make them safer, did it?

But then again if you live in sheltered suburbia and watch "Death Wish IV" on SPIKE TV every day you have a very skewed view of who criminals are, how they attack people (no "warning" are given as they usually are given by the TV criminals) and how effective guns are in real life crimes. There is a massive disconnect from how the real world operates and how handgun owners think it operates. (shurg) Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true.

"But I need it to scare away criminals!" they argue.

The Bloods and the Crips shoot at each other every day and they both know the people they are shooting at have guns. Lot's of guns. So if a 17 year old criminal isn't scared to attack another 20 year old that is armed to the teeth....is it really logical to believe this same kid is going to "terrified" of a 40 year old soccer mom or 36 year old suburban Dad because they might have a handgun?

Nope. Makes no sense.

"But I need my handgun to protect me from the US military!" they argue.

This argument just doesn't make any fucking sense whatsoever.

When you're President....then how exactly do you "take over" America? You're already in charge of everything!

You're already President!

And even if he could get all of Congress, all the Joint Chiefs, all the FBI and the CIA and all the Generals to somehow agree (magically?) to "take over" America....what exactly would that mean?

Would they round us up and force us to stop working and destroy our economy just so that they can put us in prison camps? In the movies this might make sense....but in real life this "fear" of the government rounding people up just doesn't make any sense.

And let's just assume this impossible scenario plays out and the Army starts marching into your town...do you really think the dudes in the tanks are going to turn tail and run just because Johnny Sixpack has a handgun???

Again...I find it curious that this particular fear seems to be 100 percent limited and exclusive to one particular ethnic group.

You'd think the Asian American and Hispanics and African American would live in mortal fear of being rounded up....but they don't. It's just, well, you know who.

This is a cultural issue.

This is a psychological issue.

Until we start addressing the psychology of people who fear they "need" handguns then we'll never be able to pass sensible, effective legislation regulating handguns.

If the Iraq War were a book we'd all be rolling our eyes at yet another improbable plot twist.

"No President is that stupid. Commie torture tactics from the Korean War? C'mon!"

(shakes head)

Everyday I read about the exploits of Capt. Fuck-up and his All Star Band of Idiots and mutter, "This can't be true! It just can't! No group of human beings could ever ascend this high in government and be this idiotic/crazy!"

But, as Bush has pointed out himself, we're always misunderestimaing him.