Some of the debate on gun control includes a rural vs. urban perspective that makes me a little uncomfortable. Urban folks tend to see guns as instruments of crime and violence - rural folks see them as tools for hunting and self-defense.

I don't think new gun laws will make much difference in the short term, either.

At the same time, I can't really justify any reason not to ban assault weapons. In my mind, it isn't a slippery slope, but rather a fairly clear line. For me, assault weapons land somewhere past the tools of self-defense and hunting.

I also don't think it is unreasonable to make buying and owning a gun in all states as difficult as getting a driver's license. We don't see that as a huge loss of freedom. And even though any yahoo can grab the keys and go barreling into people down the road one day, we still think it is prudent to have a process in place where folks are required to demonstrate their ability to safely operate a vehicle.