Yeah - you're right in the respect that I did introduce the PA as a part of my argument.  I wasn't trying to divert attention away from the gun thing.  I think people do have (and should maintain) the right to bear arms.  I'm no consitutional scholar, but the way I read it - people can bear arms.  We can argue all day which "arms" are necessary to protect the "security of a free state," but I'd like to know why you think all guns are necessary.  And just so you know, I'm not anti-hand gun....although I think Peter's probably right in the respect that the mass proliferation of hand guns in our country does lead to more violent homicides.  Automatic weapons should be banned outright to private citizens.  There is no reason to own these that have anything to do with protecting the freedom of the state or hunting deer on the back 40. 

Anyway - the reason why I brought up the PA is because of what Pat said in his reference to Nazi Germany.  I was only trying to illustrate that real freedoms of this country that have already been taken away and wondering aloudly why they don't scare him as well.

Cool?

Dan