Two hundred and thirty one years ago today, Paul Revere protected the right to bear arms, making his famous ride to warn the countryside around Boston that the British were marching to confiscate their guns (tomorrow will be the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord). It's ironic to note that that city now has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. Perhaps it's time for another revolution up there.

Rand, please lets correctly define this entire debate.

Gun Control is using both hands and hitting the target.

Taking our rights to keep and bear arms away is ANTI-GUN ADVOCACY or ANTI-GUN RIGHTS.

Saying "Gun Control" is the same as saying "Pro-Choice", it's political "correct speech".

They aren't pro-choice they are pro-death of babies. They aren't in favor of controlling gun ownership either. They want the guns to go away so they can disarm the populace.

The argument is that we no longer need a citizen militia. Well in a post 9/11 world where we have the majority of our standing military and reservists at work around the world we need more guns not less. I can't count on those fine folks who are in Iraq and Afghanistan to get home to protect me.

I have no formal training as an infantryman or survivalist. I am a good shot and I am an avid reader, I own military manuals and camping and survival books. I own guns and tons of ammunition and CB radios and FMRS /GMRS radios and batteries and local and national maps and camping gear and survival gear in general. I am the current militiaman and all the legislation in the world can't make them turn in any of my gear.

My gear would be used in defense of my country or for something simple like a hurricane. Do we still have those? I can't remember any serious ones or multiple ones in a short time lately.

A good militiaman can help the general populace in any disaster, natural or man made. I was and still am a good Boy Scout, I follow my motto.

Be Prepared.

The ANTI-GUN ADVOCACY crowd can have my gear, in general, and my gun, in particular, when they.......

Taking our rights to keep and bear arms away is ANTI-GUN ADVOCACY or ANTI-GUN RIGHTS.

Or, "People Control."

i agree with the right to bear arms, but how can you seriously argue against gun control? so the line shouldnt be drawn at all? any citizen should be able to own any weapon, assuming they can afford it?

Be real, pro-death of babies is also inaccurate. Words are words their meanings are ascribed by those who recieve them. Pro-death of babies? Maybe pro-abortion. Pro-lifers aren't pro-life (as many pro-LIFE support the DEATH penalty and the Iraq War--which is KILLING no matter how you cut it) they are anti-abortion, doesn't matter. It all means the same thing. That's just nitpicking.

It works both ways Steve.

Also of note, Mr. Revere was not alone that night, Wm. Dawes and Samuel Prescott rode with him along with about 40 others who set out that night.

Anyway, I think it was more about stopping British tyranny than anything else, though the arms were at the center of that particular night. The enitirety of the Revolution didn't have to do with that specific provision so much.

Either way, the Longfellow poem is pretty much inaccurate.

For the record I am pro-gun rights or whatever Steve up there called it.

Gonzo if abortion isn't the death of a baby then what the heck is it?

I personally support the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere else we have to go to keep our freedom from whom ever wants to take it. Kill the S.O.B.s before they kill us, we didn't start this.

The death penalty is a go also. It's a good law when used for the right reasons. Some people say it's not a deterrent, oh yes it is. Example, here in NC we recently had a guy out after serving 18 years for murder, who guess what committed another murder. If they'd put the clown to death, the second murder would not have happened. No one put to death, to date, has committed another murder.

I know the next line, "but how can we be sure we have the right guy?" Well we can't. But we have the best system on earth to ensure we have the right guy. And with most murder cases getting appeal after appeal and with the technology advances we have some people wrongly convicted have been set free. Gonzo, no system is fool proof.

> Gonzo if abortion isn't the death of a baby then what the heck is it?

It is death of a clump of cells which, given enough time, might have grown into a baby.

You may believe in immortal soul which enters the zygote the moment sperm and egg combine. I do not. As far as I am concerned, the person is consciousness. Before brain activity begins, the fetus is NOT a human being, and destroying it is no different from masturbation, or from growing a culture out of my skin cells and then throwing it away. Likewise, Terry Schiavo the person died years before her body was taken off life-support. (Although that fact was not and could not be proven until autopsy.)

FYI, I agree with you on guns, and voted for Bush. Not because I like him (I do not), but because Kerry would have been a far worse disaster.