I believe in gun rights because I have had relatives / personally been protected from both people and animals (feral dogs) by gun ownership. I believe weakening any of the bill of rights provides avenues to weaken the others. I also believe that it is an important counter balance to authority figures becoming despots. Mostly I just see guns as another tool and have serious problems with saying an object did something when it is the person who did. Plus, most of the gun stat stories were done narrowly and didn't include rural areas (did a stint in the social work area).

So, I understand the purpose, but am horrified by the picture and do not think NRA membership is a factor in the reaction to the picture.

1. Self/property protection 2. Fun/sport/hunting 3. Assertion of constitutional rights( and sometimes duty )

That said, this thread is in danger of political derailment.

I don't currently own any guns, and am clumsy enough to be a threat to everybody within 1/4 mile if I did, but I do believe that the right to self-defense is a fundamental human right, perhaps the most fundamental of all.

Historically, most deaths due to misuse of guns have occurred in times and places where the state has maintained a monopoly on the use of violence. It would be very hard to convince me that a disarmed populace is a net positive for society, over the long run.