(With apologies to The Beatles).
When you live in Redneck Central, owning a firearm is a way of life. Most kids receive a BB-gun when they are toddlers and get their first real gun about the time they start to school. Even our schools support the hunting lifestyle; they build the first three days of deer hunting season into the school calendar each year, giving kids a break from classes to hunt. They claim it is for safety reasons, when actually it is because many of the staff and administration want time off to go hunting as well.
I was raised with guns. My dad and my uncle taught me to shoot a .22 rifle when I was in grade school. I learned to shoot a pistol in high school. And, while I don't hunt, I will cook and eat wild game if someone brings it to me. All that said, I am not a card-carrying member of the NRA and I do not understand all the ruckus over gun control.
There are certain firearms that serve no purpose but to kill another human being. Those should be controlled by law. But, that doesn't mean the government will take away your hunting rifle.
What strikes me about the entire argument is that those who oppose gun control are more concerned about their right to bear arms than about their right to free speech. I don't hear them complaining that free speech is already being restricted in this country. I don't hear them expressing concern that when free speech is taken away, other freedoms will soon follow. People in this country need to get their priorities in order and preserve their First Amendment rights. Only then can they express their concerns about their right to bear arms.
