The founding fathers wanted us to have guns so that we could defend our country and also, I think, allow us to hunt. I mean back then you had to hunt for food and it was a great option...so despite what Ted Nugent says I think it's easy enough to go to the grocery store for most of us. There really is no way that they could have envisioned where we are at today.

Wrong Reg...though hundreds of thousands of people still like to hunt, and it is often even necessary believe it or not for the sake of animal management if nothing else...

now how about a little perspective on what was really meant from someone of that era?

"The importance of this article [the Second Amendment] will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers." [emphasis added]  - Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story (appointed by James Madison in 1811)

I don't own a gun...mainly because I really don't want the temptation to use it to be there. I really just don't want to shoot anybody...

I don't either (want to shoot someone) and never have, but would if my life depended on it.

I do believe that all male gun owners are trying to compensate for their small penis and probably deep seeded feelings of insecurity.

I can't even believe you said that. (and it's deep seated btw). Sean Penn has a concealed carry permit and does...are you suggesting that  his penis is small?

I do believe people should have the right to purchase a gun if they so desire. That being said I know a lot of gun owners and to tell you the truth...I feel 95% of them should not be allowed to have a gun.

That's good (first point) , but I can assure you that you're hanging with a very atypical crowd.

...so he drops to his knees and puts the gun to his head and cocks it and says "Well, I can fix that right now if that's what you want!"

that's what I mean...most  gun owners I know would ever do such an idiotic thing.

I've been around 36 years and so far have had no need of a gun to survive this lifetime. I think most of the time we're pretty safe...the media promotes fear and danger around us at all times and I think for a lot of gun owners that's left them frightened and insecure and feeling like they need some protection. I think if you own a gun you're also more likely to get shot. Maybe it's a karma thing but I think if you avoid them you're just more apt not to run into that sort of trouble. 

I have no dispute with that, but I also happened to have grown up around guns and was taught at avery young age to respect the hell out of them and what they can do. It's not a living in fear thing.  I just like to shoot for fun, kill an occasional groundhog and that's about it.  I don't hunt anymore (other than said ground hogs) but had to complete a comprehensive hunter safety course before my parents would let me own a gun (age 10).

Would less guns out there mean less people getting shot...

Maybe, and if we had less cars on the road maybe a hell of lot less people would be killed by them too! Shall we make it nearly impossible to get a driver's license too then?

I also think if all gun owners were required to recieve counseling and get profiled each year we may be a little safer.

I agree that every gun owner should be properly trained, but profiling every year?  That would be far to expensive...just look at what's happening in Canada right now with their new registration database that was supposed to cost 1-2 Mil and will now be over 1 BILLION by 2004.  Plus your forgetting, criminals won't play by those rules in the first place and will buy unregistered and/or illegal weapons.

I also think Hollywood should start making movies and shows with less violence and more sex. A lot more sex...and a lot more nudity...and allow all of it to be televised as well...

I wouldn't complain about that

Wacky stat of the day...

Somewhere around 35,000 to 40,000 people get shot and killed in America each year.

Actually, it's a little less than that, but in 1999 MORE than half of those were suicides.  And believe it or not, in Japan, where gun ownership is very rare, the suicide rate was even higher than here in the US.

In Iraq only about 500 Americans have been killed. We haven't been there a year yet but we're working on it.

This stat shows Americans are safer in Iraq than in America.

If there were 268 million soldiers in Iraq it might...(think deaths per thousand Reg, and don't count natural causes, suicides etc...)

But here's a couple of wacky stats for you:

1. Medical malpractice is the third largest preventable cause of death in the United States; responsible for 80,000 deaths per year; or one every 7 minutes.
2. Therapeutic drug use each year kills as many as 198,000 people, puts 8.8 million people in hospitals, accounts for 28% of all hospital admissions and costs as much as $182 billion

Let's outlaw Doctors and drugs! ....ahhh never mind.