Gun Control

I don't own a gun, and have no immediate plans to acquire one.  However, I do adamantly support the right of Americans to own guns as authorized by the second amendment to the Constitution.

That said, I can only think of three legitimate reasons why individuals would need to own a gun:

1.  Hunting

2.  Protection of Self/Family/Home from others.  This would include not just home break-in scenarios, but natural disaster situations involving the always possible "mauranding band" that is out to wreak havoc.

3.  Protection of Self/Family/Home from the government.  This is the dictator seizing power scenario that could happen at any time -  to any society.  In such a situation, citizens need to be able to respond.  Guns are absolutely required, or a response becomes pretty much impossible.  Proactively speaking, an armed populace is a really big disincentive for anyone  to try to become a dictator in the first place - i.e., the potential dictator may be dissuaded from his planned course of action by an armed populace.  

From the perspective of a Dictator, the first thing they would want to do once assuming power is to remove the people's guns.  Far easier to stay in power that way.  It behooves the populace of a country not to be sheep sitting around hoping that a dictator won't come a-knocking.  Citizens need to be armed so that a potential dictator will think twice before daring to try and seize power.  Democracy requires never-ending vigiliance, and one way to be vigiliant, is to be prepared for the worst.

Assault Weapons:  Am for the control of assault weapons.  Think these sort of weapons belong in the hands of the military only.  That said, realize the following:

     a.  If push ever came to shove in this country in regard to a dictator, the freedom fighters would be far better off if at least some of them had assault weapons.

     b.  Even if banned, assault weapons will still end up in the hands of/be used by terrorists, drug dealers, and hard core criminals.

Discussion on Assault Weapons:  While there are some advantages to allowing assault weapons to be obtainable by the general populace, mass murder scenarios are far less likely to happen if they are not acquirable.  Sort of a trade-off here - ability to combat (a) and (b) above, against the lifes of citizens in mass murder situations.  I lean toward reduced access in this case.

Background Checks:  Don't feel that convicted felons should be able to acquire weapons.  Also don't feel that anyone with a history of mental illness should be allowed to acquire weapons.

Registration of Guns:  Innocuous sounding as this may seem, it could easily turn into convenient first step in confiscation of guns by Government officials

Final thought:   Some might suspect that the often vehement demands from the left for gun control might be related to more than just the safety of our citizens in mass murder situations.  The Founding Father's knew that an armed populace was a real deterrant to any potential dictator..........  Put in a more historical perspective, how well do you think that the American Revolution would have went without an armed populace?