I hear you, LW. I'm left, southern, well-educated and fascinated by historical arms and armor. These things are not mutually exclusive. I was a varsity letterman and captain of my rifle team in high school, and I'm well informed about arms technology. I know the history of firearms, including as it relates to this country and my home region. I also won't allow a functioning cartridge firearm in my house. Yes, one can be killed with lots of different household appliances and tools but I'd rather be stabbed with a kitchen knife, hacked with a machete or beaten with a hammer than shot with any firearm. And, of course, kids tend not to accidentally stab themselves to death.

Still, I share your interest in arms technology and history, so if you must have a firearm, here's what I suggest—Shift your interest to modern reproductions of historic black powder arms. You can get everything from the earliest medieval European "hand gonnes" to 19th century military longarms and pistols. You'll love the technological aspect and historical connection, but you won't be a grave danger to the public if you have a bad day at work. With the exception of revolvers, it's one shot followed by a relatively slow, clumsy reload. Try an 18th c. flintlock "Brown Bess" if you want something big, aesthetically appealing and technologically superior.

Or, you could do what I do, and focus on historic edged weapons. For the price of a quality modern rifle you can get the finest, most historically accurate swords, daggers and polearms available. The first two sites below represent the gold standard of reproduction edged weapons. The third site is dedicated to educating folks about this subject.

Do yourself and your offspring a favor—find the sword that best represents the historical arc or origin of your family, treat it with the same respect with which you treat firearms and pass it along to your child when he or she turns 21.

http://www.albion-swords.com/

http://www.armor.com/

http://www.myarmoury.com/features.html

This is getting overblown and there's a certain amount of hyperventilation and hyperbole as a result. These folks were not tasered for asking questions or skateboarding or refusing to show ID. It's dishonest to suggest otherwise. In every case, as far as I can tell from the videos, the taser-ee has refused repeated lawful requests by uniformed security on private property, started screaming and otherwise acting like an idiot and then resisted arrest when the cops have no options left but to subdue him or just walk away from their sworn duties. Of course the Bush administration is crypto-Fascist. Of course the Republic is long-since dead. But that has nothing to do with unstable people thinking they can defy lawful requests on private property, resist arrest, wrestle with cops and just walk away unscathed. Would you rather see cops use the old low-tech solutions of cudgels, joint-locks and come-alongs? Everybody is overreacting, from the taser-ees who would rather be tasered than admit that, say, a university has a right to restrict access to its library, up to the people who think the black helicopters have finally been dispatched. Take...a...deep...breath.

"The student was subdued and under the control of four cops, at least." Not true. They shocked him because he was not under their control. They are heard repeatedly telling him to roll over and he is seen repeatedly refusing to do so and resisting.

"They could have dragged him out of the room, secured him in plastic handcuffs, and transported him." Not before getting him under control.

"Four cops against one student." Who could very well have been armed, given his demonstrated instability.

"The issue here is not whether he 'deserved it'". I never said anybody deserved anything, only that they shouldn't do what they did and equate the response with the creation of a police state.

"The issue is that the police overreacted in a situation against someone who posed no threat." As I said, I think everybody overreacted, but nobody knows what threat any of these people posed. That's the point of removing them from a populated area and/or arresting them.

"Were you tased the last time you acted inappropriately?" I've never disobeyed the lawful requests of a group of cops and run screaming around a college auditorium when they try to restore order.

"If a college student at a public forum cannot safely speak up, then neither can you." He safely spoke up for quite a long time before he was asked to yield the floor, as would anyone who genuinely values free speech and a civil society, and as does everyone else at this and almost every other forum in the nation. This man wasn't denied his 1st ammendment rights. He was denied the right to disrupt a dialogue between Kerry and the audience. To say he has the right to do that is to extend free speech to the proverbial shouting of "fire!" in a crowded theater.

Let me paraphrase Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up their freedom in exchange for security deserve neither."

And let me add: "Those who would give up the freedom of a fellow citizen to act the fool give up their own."

Congressional Democrats: The Republicans said "let's get naked and get in the Jacuzzi".

Prosecutor: So what did you do?

Congressional Democrats: We got naked and got in the jacuzzi.

I hope folks won't assume that these groups are too stupid to realize that they're building backlash support for Clinton. I think it's very likely that they WANT her to have the nomination and they're counting on knee-jerk reaction to this campaign to lock it up for her. Vote for whomever you please, but don't let the GOP drive your choice.

Remember Dole's disgraceful tour of duty on the Swift Boat in 2004? How sweet to now see him get the same treatment from the GOP establishment candidate. It's called karma, Bob.