So, Mike walks into a gun shop to buy a new handgun for work. When informed of the waiting period, he uses the Homer Simpson quote: "Waiting period? But I'm angry now!" and all the gun shop folks got a laugh out of that. The next day Mike brought in a note from his boss and the waiting period was waved.

No real point to that story, other than it being on my mind because it happened this week and I was reading about the handgun ban in D.C. this morning. why.i.hate.dc

I have conflicting views on gun control. The firearms needs of city folk and country folk are completely different. Yes, a handgun can be good for personal safety, but how do you keep one out of the hands of a so-called criminal while allowing librarians to keep them in their purses in case they're mugged? In places where crime increases while gun bans are in effect, is it because there is there is a new act that is a crime? On top of all the actual shootings, you have all the incidents of guns being carried. New law = new illegal act = more crime.

I don't like Mike's gun being loaded when I'm home alone in the house. I know that sort of defeats the purpose of having a gun for protection. But in the unlikely even that someone does break in and I have to make the choice to shoot them or not, it's likely in that situation that the gun will be wrestled away from me easily.

And I don't care what the excuses may be, if a child gets his or her hands on a gun, it's the parents' fault. End of story. If there's one reason to ban guns altogether, it's to keep kids from shooting themselves and each other.

A blanket ban is obviously not realistic.

Is the Second Amendment obsolete?