"Guns don't kill people, people kill people".

But, if there is no gun for that person to pull the trigger of, you eliminate one source for violence. Right?

There should be responsibility in gun ownership and use. Having spent a 30 years in my Marine Corps, I have probably fired every hand held weapon of every nation since the Mauser, Enfield and the '03, from fully automatic, silenced, to placing a five round clip in the weapon. My profession required that I be an expert on weapons of all nations. I am, right down to the number of grains to use for maximum effectiveness. Not bragging, just explaining my former profession.

My grandmother grew up on a farm. She was the oldest of five sisters and three brothers. She was 13 when a 3 men tried to break in to their farm home. She grabbed her father's revolver and killed all 3 of them, one round each. They had been searching for these killers for over a year. You see my great grand father was the county sheriff and he taught each child how to use a weapon responsibly. There was no trial, no inquest, nothing but a five line article on the second page of the local newspaper. Afterwards, she put the gun back in the drawer and went back to helping her sisters wash the clothes and hang them on clothes lines to dry.

Granted it was a more simpler time. However, each generation of my family have been career public protectors and/or military protecting our country. My own daughters learned how to accurately fire a weapon, and the responsibility of handling weapons, from my wife and myself. My wife learned the same from her Marine Corps father. We never had concern about locking my weapons, taking out the bolts, or firing pins if we left our children at home. They learned at a very early age.

Years ago, I never understood why the federal government even got involved with personal weapons past tranporting weapons between states for sale under the commerce clause.

Yes, I have gone to the trouble of taking a "concealed carry" permit for a weapon I carried for 30 years on active duty. I would do it again. All my children and grandchildren have done the same. Why do I now understand that I have to get a permit and why is the government involved? Try going to upper Montana as a first stop, and seeing the "militias" formed not for protection of the state, but for "white only" "Christian only" groups. It's scary. That would be a first reason. Next, even the former Vice President of the United States mishandled a weapon and peppered a friendwhile hunting birds. So, with guns, even in the best of hands, accidents will happen. Now, look at the inner city gangs more armed that some of the enemies my Marines and I went up against on missions. It is sometimes hard to find out who are the black hats and the white hats.

There was a question yesterday of what one would do if a person broke in to your home. The vast majority answered shoot first and ask questions later. Sadly, in today's society, that has to be the answer, given just the recent rampant killings of three store clerks for no reason. If you look closely at the videos you see that the hammer is already cocked on the revolver of the man entering and going to the counter. No more days of breaking in just to get something to eat. Now its drugs, money, or even gang initiation.

We have an outstanding police department here. But, they cannot be in all places all the time. I figure it's either him/her or me as I have been taught and learned over a career. So far it's been me Thanks be to God. Now I am an old man and probably considered priority 1 by those who rob and kill for money. After all, no big loss. All I ask is please don't try. I am very tired of killing people over money, drugs, politics, religion, and one country wanting to take another. I hope I never have to do anything than my weekly cleaning of my weapons and taking them to the range to hit a moving piece of paper.

I no longer hunt animals or birds. I feed them now. Personally, I have always felt that hunting animals for any reason rather than putting food on the table is a weak person just trying to give the impression of strong because of a bigger gun. We used to make deer meat burgers, deer steak, and deer stew when we lived paycheck to paycheck. And we always had a turkey for Thanksgiving. When the pay got better, we purchased beef/pork/turkey at the store.

However, I am not ready to die yet although I understand that is not up to me. If someone tries to break in my home and kill me for what little I have, I will defend myself with everything I can bring to bear---and I will ensure that none of those who try will be breathing when it's over. Why? because if they get away, they might find some other old man/woman to rob---and I do not want that either.

I have cried over my enemy many times. A young boy, a pretty young girl with an SKS and a scope tied in a tree as a sniper. I will probably cry again. But, that does not stop my resolve.

Someday, all this will pass, at least I pray so.

In the Farmville murders, two of the suspects were felons who broke the law by having a gun. Hence, this shows that regardless of the laws, criminals will have weapons.

We are not defending ourselves against a foreign invading country. We are defending ourselves against the thugs and criminals you read about in this paper who prey on innocent honest citizens each and every day.

The intent of the Bill of Rights was to restrict and prohibit the Federal Government from abuse of power, clearly stated in its Preamble. It was never nor was it intended as a grant of rights BY the Federal Government. This clearly indicates that these rights were already inherent possessions of the people.

In the Second Amendment, the "well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State," was never intended to be a qualifier for the right to bear arms, but was a subordinate clause offered as an example, complimentary to why this right of the people must be protected. All one has to do is read writings on the Second Amendment by St George Tucker, Revolutionary War Militia Officer, legal scholar and US District Court Judge appointed by James Madison in 1813.

"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, and this without any qualification as to their condition or degree, as is the case in the British government."

So significant was Tucker's deconstruction of the amendment, that SCOTUS has ruled over 40 times "for the people's right to bear arms" specifically citing Tucker.

The Second Amendment is not a grant of right by the government. It is not a right that is abridged only if one is on active militia duty. It is the natural individual right of self-defense which as Tucker wrote "is the palladium of liberty".

First of all, hats on to Mr. Clement. Anyone smart enough to interpret Joe Biden's words is a smart person. I'm not even sure Joe can interpret his words.

On the subject of gun control, do you think America can do as good a job controlling guns as they do, let's say, illegal drugs? Can they do as good a job on gun control as they do controlling illegal immigration?

The poor ol' government cannot even control itself, much less guns. Give them a break and don't try adding anything else to their already full plate.