I am against gun controll for all the reasons above
Have a freind that is a liscensed gun owner.gets a knock on the door opens the door and gets stabbed ten times.He was ten feat from his gun. I call him pin cushion now. The thief now owns his guns.Point is that the gun is rarely where ya need it when the need arises.
As far as using one to protect yourself from a cougar dream on.I have come across two in the last few weeks and a gun would not of helped.I walked straight into one that had no idea I was there.I was climbing over a sweeper on the river when we looked each other in the eyes.Afterwords I could not help giggling over the false security supplied by carring a gun.Probably would of shot myself trying to pull it.Believe it or not I did try like hell to pull my camers though...

I'm 57 years old, and I've NEVER been in a situation where a handgun would have helped me.

I guess that means the sky may be falling, but it hasn't happened yet.

BTW. I was on probation and parole for 18 years of my life. I've been to numerous jails, prison and institutions for herion addiction and related stuff during my 15 years of use. I've been clean and sober for 18 years. So its not that I have not been in situations where something could have happened.

Paranoia(fear) is a killer!

Lighten up - Enjoy life!

Dogfish, That was a great post. Although I have never had to draw my weapon on anyone, I had to make it be known that I had one.

In the late 80's I was driving home from the Kalama and when I was by Olympia, 4 guys in a car pulled up next to me and started pointing at my left front tire. I didn't feel any vibration coming from the front of my truck so I kept driving. They pulled up again and pointed again, I was starting to get a little nervous , it was about 1A.M. ,well, when I didn't pull over they started becoming aggresive and started flipping me off then they tried running me off the road. The only thing I could think of at the time was to show them my hand gun. I pointed it straight up in the air next to the window. You would'nt believe how fast they backed off.

Whether my action was right I don't know. I think it might have saved me.

2weeks after that , I read where the same situation happened to a couple. He pulled over by Montesano She was shot and killed ,He survived.

sometimes you can't get to a weapon, but I sure like the option of being able to.

PETA will do anything to stop our fishing and hunting. The NRA ,I believe, is a tool for us to keep our weapons.