If I recall, a few communities that required all citizens to own a firearm (except felons) their crime rates fell dramatically. While I'm not sure I would feel comfortable with some one that had no training in handling a weapon, when law inforcement is limited, an armed criminal may think twice about committing a crime if they thought 70% of the citizens were armed. Gun control is a joke unless law enforcement starts putting criminals (that commit crimes with guns)into longterm mandatory prison sentences.

I have weapons and so do a lot of my friends. They are responsible hard working individuals and I trust them completely. Unlike some, I have no illusion that the cops can protect me. They always show up AFTER a crime has been committed. ww

Yes the scumbag in Omaha stole the ak-47 from his step-dad. I think the city prosecutor is looking for something to charge him with, if they can find anything.

Although I completely agree with the contentions of the linked article, I have one issue with Jay Tea's comments on it. (Be it noted that this isn't the only time I've seen it expressed that way, either.)

In three paragraphs, the term "licensed" is used twice, and "registered" once. Not to pick a whole pile of fly-dung out of the pepper here, but in most States, unless you are talking about carrying concealed, there is no "license" or "registration" involved in firearm ownership. I, and most of the people I know, own firearms. Other than those who have CCW permits, none of those firearms are licensed or registered to us in any way.

Which is the way the 2nd Amendment mandates it, IMO. I would be as opposed to licensing or registration of my firearms as I would be to banning them outright, as would most of us.

So, to put it simply: "Where, exactly, is all this emphasis on that sort of thing coming from, and what is is supposed to mean, exactly?"

jefferson101,

I would suggest that anyone that has a firearm purchased through a licensed dealer has a firearm that is defacto registered. When purchased a record was made of which firearm, by make, model, caliber and serial number and linked to your name and address. Registered. The forms are kept with the dealer until requested by the BATF-E or when the dealer goes out of busines, when the forms are supposed to be sent to the BATF-E. Registered. The transaction of purchasing a firearm is also recorded through the current background check system. The request for permission to purchase isn't supposed to be stored for more than 72 hours, but I don't trust the governemnt to tell the truth about it. The transaction is registered.

I have lived around people lawfully carrying arms most of my life, and all of my adult life. It doesn't bother me at all. I am less concerned about a citizen carrying a firearm openly than a police officer carrying a gun or a taser. The Police have become wildly unpredictable and mostly unaccountable in our current society.

Here in Washington State, the DC sniper was reported to have purchased the "Bushmaster" (I believe) from a Bellingham dealer. I don't think the purchase of the rifle met all the federal standards for such a transaction, but I don't believe it was stolen.

Kieth, the dealer in question could not account for the sale of the firearm if memory serves, and asserted that it was stolen. The dealer was in fact unable to account for hundreds of firearms.

The VT shooter owned his guns.