CanuckInLA,

I learned the basics of defensive shooting in several classes taught by an Indy deputy sheriff (ok, Marion County to be precise). I've done a lot of reading (and thinking) on the subject, and I wish more people did. This type of thinking dictates that the gun's only drawn as the last measure to protect your life. I also wish more people would take the police-taught classes. I believe the solution lies more in this kind of education direction than in further bans and restrictions, but that is the road we've been heading down ever since prohibition. (Actually earlier than that, wasn't there a federal act before the 1934 one, or was that the first one?)

So yeah, the gun owners can be somewhat scared. They're scared of the future regulations that will be slapped on them, especially in the wake of this fake "war on terror" (more like "war on rights/blow up the countries standing between us and *our* oil" to me). So when they see a movie that a lay-person (re: moronic politicians) may interpret as "we need more gun control in this country", they're likely to not react too positively.

I personally believe the high number of gun-related deaths is due to the narcotics problem. (The problem being the prohibition.) Every policeman I have spoken with personally has said the same thing - the overwhelming problem right now is violence attributed with dealing illegal substances. Not with the substances themselves, mind you, just the fact that they are illegal. Curing drug addiction is a social health problem, not a criminal one. The deaths won't stop until we reverse our national policy on this issue and do away with the black market demand by doing away with the Illegal Substances Act of 1996. (Which was just as horriblely written piece of legislation crap as the Patriot Act and the DMCA.)

Your comments have at least made me want to watch the movie now. My original comments were based soley from the web page. (I really don't think the number is as high as 11k, but I'm still digging for crime stats from last year.) I'll try to see it with an open mind, but every time I've seen Moore interviewed on TV he always has come across as a Socialistic anti-gun person to me. (I seriously have to question the reasoning of someone who takes such a strong "the rich need to be taxed even more" position, but that is an entirely different discussion!)

My personal thesis is that we're not going to see any real infusion of sanity into this country until we elect a Libertarian president, but I recognize that I'm in a very small minority on that one. Harry Browne would not be preparing to anihilate Iraq right now, and I'd even argue that having a Libertarian in the office in 2k might have prevented the outcome of last Sept.'s events.

(How's that for a closer?)

- Rick