let's look at it this way, depends on your mindset

when approaching or being approached by a "homeless" person on the street asking for money do you?

a) give him a couple of bucks
b) give him $5
c) give him $10
d) oh dammit, I've gone totally plastic, I'll give him the $25 gift card I just bought for my niece.

when approaching or being approached by a "vagrant" on the street asking for money do you?

a) offer him a ride to the soup kitchen
b) offer him a ride to rehab
c) offer him $20 for raking leaves in your yard for a couple of hours
d) keep walking because you already know the answer to a), b) and c)

So...this poor guy, with a gun, needs your wallet, watch and car keys worse than you do and you willingly hand it all over. Then this crack head, jerk pops you in the belly anyway.

I'd play the odds.

No Rolf, I don't think you're an butt. Infact if there was something you came to me with needing assistance that I could help with, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do all I could. In the end, we have a common passion that brought us to this list, and that is sailing. That passion bonds ALL of us in a way that few other passions or lifestyles do. Your viewpoint on this differs from mine, so what. If I thought everyone that had different ideas from me were wrong, I'd be an butt. It's these differences that make the world an interesting place to live. Sometimes our written words are taken differently than when they are spoken. No ill feelings comming from me and I'm sorry if they initially came accross that way. I'm going to clean my guns now.

Saw a bumpersticker today that said, "Too bad closed minds don't come with matching mouths"

Rolf: Why are you so worked up over this? I would really like to know

Sounds very far fetched as Japan had ambitions in the pacific. Actually invading and conquering the USA is something I have never heard the japanese contemplating.

Don't get me wrong, I dont think anybody needs a asault weapon, barring the military of course. But that's not what this discussion is about. We are talking about gun laws and the right to keep and bare arms.

Mr. Pot, I'm pleased to introduce Mr. Kettle.

this is a great example of many of the gun control issues. An 8 year old was given an UZI at a gun show by experts, he lost control of the recoil, and shot himself in the head - dead. I have a strong feeling that this falls distinctly into an "only in America" category.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6393527&page=1

Don't get me wrong, I dont think anybody needs a asault weapon, barring the military of course. But that's not what this discussion is about. We are talking about gun laws and the right to keep and bare arms. I have a shotgun, and a handgun. the handgun and the key to the trigger lock on my shotgun are in a safe with a 10 digit combination because I have kids. I don't plan on shooting anyone. But I do enjoy target shooting and believe I have the right to do so. I just don't think it is the gun laws that are the culprit in most cases. More often than not kids are being killed by other kids, with handguns not uzis. We need tighter gang laws, juvenile justice laws, and proper education and better parenting. Do you really think that changing gun laws will effect the gang mentality? Or the violence committed by kids who think it is cool to be a thug? I don't need an autoamtic weapon so don't put me in that category. It is a total lack of responsibilty that puts weapons like those in the hands of kids. I just dont think gun laws are the complete answer, we need to change the mentality of the younger generation. I have noticed a general lack of respect in young people. I blame Jacka**, Youtube, and some pretty violent games that desensitze and glorify this gangsta mentality. I was disrespectful when I was younger but when I got in fights in High school no body whipped out a pistol, and I learnd some good lessons by picking my dumb a** off the ground a couple of times. Problem is these kids aren't willing to lose anymore.