Do you think that this country still needs the Second Amendment?

However, it's the interpretation of it that has led us down a dangerous road. (Gear up, Charleton Heston fans, here it comes!) I have owned a gun. I know how to shoot a gun. I don't currently own one because I no longer live out in the country isolated from help, so I figure I have no need for it. I think anyone over 18 who isn't a convicted felon or a nutcase should be able to own a gun if he or she wants to, but I have stipulations: (1) every gun owner should have to take a gun safety class. (2) max 2 guns per person. (3) private citizen (non military or law officers) gun ownership should be limited to single shot rifles, normal length shotguns, or small to medium gage pistols or revolvers (4) min 3 day waiting period between purchasing a gun and taking it from home and (here comes the biggie) (5) ALL gunowners should have an foid card and every gun they own should be registered, similarly to the way cars, boats, and home deeds are registered. Regarding my number 3 on the list, in my opinion there is NO valid reason for any private citizen to own a bazooka, rocket launcher, Uzi, automatic rifle, etc. These are weapons that have one purpose and that is to kill people. They have no business in the hands of ordinary citizens. And yes, the tiny "Saturday night specials" cause many of the horrendous number of gun-related deaths in this country. Many if not most of those are stolen or smuggled into the country. They should be found and destroyed.

Now of course none of the above is going to happen in my lifetime and perhaps not ever in this country. We are a nation of cowboys. "Shoot first and ask questions later" is pretty much an acceptable philosophy for many. The cry of "If all our guns are registered the government will take them away!" rings loudly from the halls of the NRA. No reasons given, just a presumption. Ah, heck. I'm not going to get anywhere with this except probably some nasty comments.

I am not lying and I resent the hell out of you accusing me of it. The first gun I owned was a Smith and Wesson Ladysmith 38 caliber automatic. My husband had several guns, and he taught me how to shoot the handgun and one of his rifles. As he lay terminally ill he warned to get rid of most of the guns since I woud be a target for thieves. After he died I sold all of them except the Ladysmith. However, when I took a gun course several months later, I traded it in for a 367 magnum revolver because the arthritis in my hands was making it difficlult for me to disassemble and clean the automatic. When I moved into town a friend pointed out to me that this gun was so powerful that if I shot it in the house the bullet would probably go through the neighbor's house as well. The neighbors on both sides had small children, so I sold the gun right away and have never bought another.

Having owned a gun does not make me an expert on them and I have no idea what kind of gun is best for killing which kind of creature. Sheep? Pronghorn? Moose? Bear? Yeah, that figures. Your username says it all. You enjoy killing things and I suspect you wouldn't balk at all in killing a human being. Shoot first and ask questions later, right? The perfect cowboy mentality.

And as far as "registration has always lead to bans", give me an example in this country where registration of guns resulted in bans. All our guns were registered and no one ever threatened to take them away.

Why on earth would you think I was lying? What purpose would that serve? Just because I happen to believe that far too many people die from gunshot wounds in this country, including children who manage to get hold of guns that are not safely stored, you think I would lie about having a gun? There ARE gun owners who believe guns should be better regulated; those are the sane ones. And am I calling you insane? Why the heck not if you can call me a liar! Shame on you, "john kills". Geez, what a name.