Gun Guys MAILBAG

Send your Gun Guy and Gun Gal opinions to mailbag@gunguys.com. NOTE: If we feel like it, any email you send to Gun Guys may be published with your name.

TEAR JERKING STORIES CAN BE TOLD ABOUT ANY SUBJECT. AS FOR GUN OWNERSHIP, I DO NOT OWN ANY, BUT IF I SHOULD CHANGE MY MIND, IT IS MY DECISION TO MAKE AND I AM ACTIVE IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPS MAINTAIN THAT RIGHT.

The only reason you call Ronnie Barrett a cry baby and criticize the NRA because they are getting their way and you are not. You contradict yourself and it appears you are the one doing most of the crying here. I hope some day you can throw off your ill notions that the collective, nanny state knows what is best for its citizens and that you recognize that citizens make the government and control it. When you add unnecessary and ineffective restrictions and costs for legitimate business conducted by citizens of a free state, you should oppose it by principle instead of encouraging it by socialistic loyalty to a nanny state.

I think your site is awesome! You Gun Guys deserve a Sharp Shooter ribbon! I don't quite understand Mr.. Sparks. Does he not get it?

Yes it has, but it has also in all 50 states. But of all 50 state where is Florida? One of the highest. It also proves tough-on-crime (i.e. three strikes, 10/20/life and criminals serving 85% of their sentence) is not only a failure but the direct cause of Florida's high crime rate, which is caused by loose regulation of firearms, which the governor is trying to hide. Try as I may I have been unable to get the papers to also provide a comparison to other states and to all 50 states.

The following is a series of emails sent to your humble Gun Guys by one Chris Sparks. While Craig is wrong on one point (we didn't previously mention his name or email address), we thought his especially cogent argument could clearly help increase the civility of our discourse. Mother's lock up your daughters, by the way! From the looks of his barely-suppressed rage, we're guessing he's single and has all the qualities one looks for in a stalker.

threaten me by publishing my name on the net...oh noooo..pleeese mister short dick cowards...anything but that.....oh no....!

you stinking short dick losers,, cowards and yellow striped...red necks...all color and no rainbow...too bad..

go jack off with your 50 cal. ....no woman with a brain will tolerate you....hahahahahahahah.....

Do yo miss having Chuck Heston ( the sword and sandal gay from hollywood) as your lord and master?

Why isn't this man in jail and why do they blame MTV for school shootings? The Official Spokes-person for Sen. Tom Coburn's office wants to shish-ka-bob judges and the NRA wants to do away with trials completely. Just shoot.

Why did no one report what Michael Schwartz, Coburns Chief of Staff, said at the "we hate judges who disagree with us rally" and why aren't they reporting what Nugent said at the NRA rally?

Any person who would buy anything this lunatic does is as nutty as he is. What he is advocating will have parents shooting kids sneaking out to TP houses.

For decades now, we've heard from the NRA that no matter what we do, criminals will still get guns. Their desired result is achieved: inaction.

But to turn the gun control debate on its head, this argument can also be construed as an admission by the gun lobby that the black market for guns is flourishing. And so if we truly want guns out of the hands of criminals, it's time to target distribution. We must increase government oversight of the dealers and weed out those who sell in bulk to the same guy every week or look the other way during straw purchases. Let's increase criminal penalties for such actions and kill the Congressional bill that'd give gun dealers immunity from lawsuits. But sadly as a concerned citizen, it's hard to believe one can affect change when Congress won't even take up the illegal aspects of the gun trade like the flow of weapons to the black market.

As a retired cop I have to say -It's about time! Someone is saying the things I was thinking for the 29 years I was in law enforcement.

Jesus would carry a Browning Hi-Power MkIII with the new SFS (Safe Fast Shooting) kit installed, and a 17-rd South African mag loaded with ExtremeShock "Air Freedom" rounds.

I am devout Christian in the market for a hand gun. What type does Jesus Christ reccomend?

Great question! In fact, you've touched on one of the most difficult questions each young gun nut faces. Obviously Jesus wants you to own a gun, but given that they weren't invented until the 1300s, he never got the chance to cap the Roman centurions! Imagine how much better The Passion of the Christ would have been if he'd unloaded a clip of tracer rounds right into the gullet of that no-good snitch Judas!

Charles Van Wyck who authored "Shooting Back," a book which investigates each man's Christian duty to own a firearm, notes in his book that he prefers a .38 special. Now, Ole' Mike knows firsthand that's a pretty nice piece...but is it Christ-like? You want something with punch, truly unforgiving, something that'll really turn the other cheek if you know what I mean.

So, I'm going to recommend this bad boy: S&W X-frame Model 500. It's as enormous as Jesus' love for the world, packs more punch than Peter assaulting a Roman Guard, and will ensure whoever you're targeting gets a chance to give Jesus their regards. Personally.

And those of you foreigners bitching about how you wont visit the SU because of gun crime are welcome to stay the fuck out. We'd also appreciate it if you would silence yourself and butt out of what is an american issue. If you want a part in it get your ass to america, become a citizen then excerise the rights granted as an american citizen to pursue what you beleive right. Otherwise butt out

BigPappaTank@aol.com

In Response to ConcealedColt45

I studied Math in the UK, so perhaps my understanding of statistics is different than yours. You state that:

"Your chances of being struck by lightning are far greater than being a victim of gun violence"

I did a very brief bit of Internet searching and came up with the following.

Fatalities due to Lightning strike from 1959 to 1996 : 3,239 (source NOAA)

In 1998, when shooting deaths reach a 20 year low, there were 30,708 firearms deaths (source US Senate Republican Policy Committee).

Help me out here: lightning kills an average of 89 people per year, but firearms account for over 30,000?

Thank you for this article on my son David McQuinley. I just now found it. I liked it a lot. It made the point. One thing you said was that they waited so long to charge Ludlow, but I believe they waited so long because the prosecutor (Jon Morris) told me for almost a year that there was no evident. When he found out that I was going to the newspaper than all of a sudden he was charged with 3rd degree assault. The military gave him a letter of reprimand. That burns me up because that is all he got for killing David. If you drink and drive and kill someone you go to jail, but not Ludlow. He got a slap on the hand in my eyes. I wonder if they would have been so easy on Ludlow if it had been there son. One of factor, my son was not hunting. He went camping with Ludlow son. My son never held a gun in his life. I just want to thank you for your article.

I looked at the "about us" section, and it caught my attention immediately. From the articles, I assumed you were NOT the NRA, but from the look of the site, and much else, I thought maybe you were closely related to the NRA. Then, I really looked, and decided my first impression was the correct one.

I am a staunch liberal, opposed in every way to the policies of Mr. George W. Bush. I’m neither a “gun nut” nor a member of the NRA.

Nonetheless, I own a gun. In fact, we own two: one for my use, and one for my husband’s use. We live in a rural area, fairly far from our nearest neighbors. We have a small farm, and love our peaceful woods. One thing that we have to give up, however, is expecting protection from the county Sheriff. We are remote enough that it would take quite a while (at least 15 minutes) for the Sheriff to arrive in the event of an attack upon our home. No neighbor would be able to hear us screaming for help; if something happens, we’re on our own. We need to be able to protect ourselves if the unthinkable happens.

We have taken steps to ensure that we are as safe as possible with these guns; we have obtained safety training and range time on our own, and keep the guns unloaded. We take precautions when anyone visits us, whether adult or child, unless we know beyond a doubt that the visitor is skilled and safe with firearms.

I know you are opposed to unregulated gun ownership, and I must respectfully disagree. Thomas Jefferson, one of the most thoughtful and classically liberal of all U.S. Presidents, referred to firearms as “the people’s Liberty Teeth”. While it might not be a bad idea, under a different and more trustworthy administration, to ensure greater safety for the majority of people (who don’t know how to be safe with firearms) by increasing gun regulation, one thought keeps me awake at night: would you trust the Bush administration to be the only ones armed?

Do you want the government to be the only ones to have guns ? I'm not into killing anything I don't eat except someone or something that tries to take away my rights !!!!!!!

It's like the separation of church and state. The question is not how much church you want in the government but how much government you want in your church !!!!!!!

Here in Australia we constantly marvel at the difficulty you guys have with guns.

That's even though we hold the world record for a psycho going crazy and gunning unarmed people down. (M.Bryant, Tasmania 1996 or 7).

What would you "control" (ban)? Are you self-supporting or are you backed financially by Brady/MMM cash? All I ever read is anti-gun news and humor, but there is nothing positive. Just lamentations. That is so weak.

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. . . I teach on the college level. I just finished teaching a course in criminal justice as public policy. Hence, I am familiar with various Bureau of Justice Statistics regarding crime, weapons, incarceration, etc. Once upon a time, I held also a law enforcement certification.

While I drive a pickup, I am also sufficiently liberal to vote Democratic and read BuzzFlash.

In my more salad days, I spent a year and an half on a military rifle team. I have lived in a country where gun control laws were so stringent that the police ran around with unloaded weapons. Theft insurance ranged from exorbitant to non-existent. I would not want to live there again unless I could afford extensive security arrangements.

Our daughter, an Ivy League graduate, currently works forensics in the middle of the drug trade. At the next opening, she will probably move to sex crimes.

One of the fortunate ones, our daughter - who once fought off a rapist in a foreign country with gun control laws - does not have do dial 911 if confronted with an intruder. On duty or off, all she has to do is turn on a radio, key a microphone, and say something as simple as “Help.” Without her saying another word, dispatch will know who she is and, perhaps, even where she it.

Yet, if attacked, she will reach for a firearm. The reason is that, although she works in law enforcement, she realizes its extreme limitations. It goes without saying that, as a certified officer, she is reasonably proficient with firearms.

Are there people I wouldn’t trust with a firearm? You bet. However, I’ve met more people that I wouldn’t trust with a computer and access to a website, with a teaching certificate and access to a public school classroom in a compulsory education environment, or money and access to a broadcast microphone! Actually, the latter are of greater concern to me than the former.

My bottom line is that I tend to agree with the writer of Federalist No. 45. The fact that Americans are allowed to possess firearms is probably among the greatest protections against tyranny available to them. Then, perhaps, I am drawn to Federalist No. 45 because some of my ancestors helped finance and fought in the American Revolution.

Philosophically, I view gun control laws with much the same jaundiced eye that I do the legislation that created the failed war on drugs and the Volstead Act (Prohibition). Absent a police state, which I am not sure is a good idea given their historic legacies, what people want, they can get. That is particularly true in a quasi-free-trade environment in which dollars (or their equivalent) rule.

Moreover, that which is outlawed can be - and almost always is - quickly circumvented through technology. (Remember the Pope and the crossbow.) Thus, those who desire firearms can always acquire them in much the same way as those who need drugs can get them.

Besides giving America a ballooning prison population, all the war on drugs has done is to enrich the coffers of both sides of the battle. A failed war on guns will do much the same thing. Its just more symbolic politics - like HR 3799 (a bill that could turn America into a theocracy if passed and upheld.) Bills like HR 3799 are great for filling the coffers of both proponents and opponents.

From what I have seen in walking this earth for over half a century, much as with abortion (alcohol, communism, drugs, whatever becomes somebody’s demon of the moment), outlawing firearms will only make their use more dangerous since prohibition always treats symptoms rather than causes.

Finally, I don’t drink or do drugs - never have. And, just in case you haven’t figured out, I am not (nor was I ever barring some phenomenon that would obsolete every biology book on the planet) likely to get pregnant in this lifetime. Nor, am I now or have I ever been a member of the Communist Party. Hence, my concerns over these issues are not motivated by some overriding self-interest.

Anyway, I have fun with all of this - and more - in the classroom and thought you might enjoy it as well.

Saw your site today and loved it....I find it great when these tongue-in-cheek sites like yours pop up amid all this commie buncko gay anti-gun crap. I realize, most of those anti-gun sites are run by the same doofuses we had in grammar school that peed their pants when they heard a loud BANG.....the same faggots that would rather play with one anothers pee-pee rather than pick up a weapon and fight for our country. It reminds me to bless the memory of those that died fighting so the little faggies can have the freedom to tell the little lies in their teeny little weenie web-sites. But I feel sorry for them; it's sad, they really want to live in a country like Russia, but still want the freedom that the REAL men fought for. So.......... when I see a site like yours, I get a good laugh. I'll try and get a chance to explore it tomorrow. Thanks to the men and women of the US Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force, and real good AMERICANS like those that belong to the NRA with me, I'll be able to ...GOD BLESS THEM.

Ah, thank you. Just used a goober-headed google search to prove that anything you can think of can be found on the internet. I "invented" the term goober-headed (okay, maybe my collective unconscious was at work), typed it in, and found it happily residing on your site. Enjoyed perusing yer stuff, too.

Having large share holdings in the fire arms industry this gun control has got to stop. How are we share holders going to increase our wealth if you guys limited fire arms.

If this keeps up, my broker will have to start engaging in 'insider trading' so I know when to sell off and make a large return. You guys will be forcing my stock broker into committing a felony.

I've also been investing in large funeral home chains in high crime areas and I am starting to see a return on my investment - why do you want to reduce my return rates? Again, I'll have to resort to insider trading to protect my wealth and holdings, you want me to have to do that?

Me and a few other investors have bought up property to set up a cemetery specifically for people who get killed by firearms - just how are we to make a profit if gun control goes in? We'd have to eliminate jobs, cancel contracts for head stones and hurt their profits. Is this what you want?

What about my investments in casket companies? You want them to down the toilet.

The Bush administration, who are about to let the Assault Rifle Ban expire, has decided to issue an order to the US military command in Iraq to start CONFISCATING assault rifles from all Iraqi citizens, so as to stop rampant crime, violence, and lawlessness on the streets of Baghdad.

Now I thought rightwing logic said that in order to maintain law and order, the citizenry of a country should be well armed with the most sophisticated hardware gun manufacturers could come up with.

I'm always glad to get referrals to Blog on the Run (http://home.earthlink.net/~lex.alexander/lexblog.htm), but I have to confess that the link you have up right now mystifies me.

It reads: "Democrats for guns? What's next?" I'm not sure what that means, given that 1) I don't have any particularly gun-related posts up on the blog right now and 2) I've been a Republican since 1978.