Guns: Call me a hypocrite!

Although I was raised in a hunting family and enjoyed the activity, I have always been a supporter of stronger restrictive gun laws and tougher punishments for gun related crimes(I'm still very committed to this one).  It's easy to come to this conclusion when you see so many highly publicized and violent rampages on national media.   I have many American friends with opposing points of view and it took me a long time to realize that you can't take the firearms out of their society because it is part of their culture.  It's really no different than telling me I can't celebrate Christmas. 

Coming from Canada, the almost cavalier attitude and unnatural comfort  of Americans towards something that is highly regulated up here can be very disconcerting...especially when one sees someone cleaning their handgun on the picnic table at a rest stop right next where where my   innocent family is eating their lunch unawares.  I understood the collecting aspect, the hunting aspect, and even the thrill of just shooting a firearm for fun but my perspective hasn't changed much when I have discussed my concerns online with some delusional people who rationalize the need to carry because they see a boogeyman  behind every bush.   It's those paranoid few that send shivers up my spine!

I had my chance to fire a selection of what would be considered restricted firearms in Canada in Las Vegas last week and I really enjoyed it.  The activity was in a very controlled environment with some very qualified instructors supervising it.  My comfort level with these guns has since risen to the point that I wouldn't mind doing it again and perhaps taking some  Canadian Firearms Safety Courses and applying for a Restricted Possession and Acquisition License with the aim of enjoying a little target shooting of my own.  The process is long and quite limiting but I think it's for the best.  To those of you getting freaked out at the prospect of a firearm in my hands, be comforted in the knowledge that I have owned and used them before and will abide responsibly by the laws and rules of our country.