When you mentioned the non-violence threshold being breached, my mind immediately went to Waco, Ruby Ridge, dynamic entry, etc. We, as gunnies, seem to be the group that is exercising great restraint.

For some reason I'm reminded of the bullies my son has complained about from school. It seems one or two kids will pick and pick and pick at another kid until the victim lashes back. Immediately thereupon the bully will start crying and complaining loudly, that he was attacked, resulting in the victim being disciplined along with the bully ("It takes two to make a fight" the victim is told). Hence in school at least, if one is being hounded, one is to either "take it" or suffer the same consequences as the perpetrator. The bullies know this well and play it for all its worth (the perpetrators are careful to do their dirty work only outside the observation of the teachers).

My reply to my son is: If you're going to be punished either way, and if you're going to stand up for yourself, make sure you do it in a manner that the perpetrator will not forget-- so he will think thrice before ever doing it again.

"Yes, we have been showing restraint. This fact can and should be used to show that the anti-gun bigots are wrong when they claim we advocate violence as the solution for every political problem. It can be used to bolster the claim we can be trusted with firearms. Frequently they claim we cannot be trusted that we have itchy trigger fingers and must be disarmed to prevent violence. Prove them wrong with our restraint in the face of the provocations of Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc."

Great setiment - too bad that just doesn't seem to fly in some areas. I live in the PR of Taxachusetts and the anti's NEVER seem to give up on blaming the gunowners for all of the problems here - Mumbles blames NH, ME, and VT for lax gun laws causing Boston's problems, comments after the latest shooting at the New Bedford Foxy Lady ( strip club ) saying that most gunowners are " ticking time bombs just waiting to go off " and other various statements that just don't make any logical sense but are still repeated ad nauseum. When is the time to start hurting these people? Do we wait until there is nothing left to lose? Maybe a topic to go farther on for another day.

( Visited friends in Twin Falls this summer - would really like to move to Idaho but I need a real job there! )

Joe