Is Anyone Else Surprised...

XBL-Heretic wrote:
I continue to be pleasantly surprised by this forum and its members. This thread shows why I enjoy this forum so much. Even with such a sensitive topic like US gun control, most posts have been fairly even-handed regardless of view point. For sure there are strong opinions reflected in some comments, but overall a reasonable discussion which at least so far hasn't exploded into a heated debate.

Sorry to quote myself, but it would seem I spoke too soon. Extremist rhetoric on either side of an issue rarely contributes to a solution in a positive manner. The result is usually an even higher degree of extremist rhetoric coming from the other side, regardless on which side an individual happens to stand.

I will say there are legitimate reasons for personal firearm ownership in the US. One of my extended family members drives a truck in Alaska. He carries both a high powered hunting rifle and a high powered handgun in his cab for protection in case he breaks down while driving through some fairly desolate areas. I also have a mate whose parents own several hundred acres in the Midwest. They and all their employees carry weapons, and are expected to know how to use them, to protect themselves from wild animals. This isn't to say it justifies gun ownership in an urban area of the country - that's a different discussion. But there certainly are legitimate needs for legal personal gun ownership in certain areas of the US.

Regarding the quest line that started this discussion, taken at face value, I got a good chuckle out of some of the dialogue. It is, after all, a game. Herman is pretty passionate about the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. I would expect to see that passion, and it's underlying points, to be reflected in a The Simpsons game :)