A terrible, terrible tragedy.

[kandrathe]

Yup: I just want to add my agreement with you here 100%. I have no problem with flaming clueless idiots, but reasoned and civil disagreement is another matter. The bullying, dissmissive, and insulting tone of a number of the responses in this thread (and others) is not particularly pleasant.

eppie strikes me as a saint (or, possibly, a cappuchino-drinking, freeloading, lily-livered european whose presumed lack of military training ill-suits him for the coming post-apocalyptic age, especially since his entire country is likely to be under water at the time; you can choose).
Curiously, polls seem to show that the majority of people in the US support stricter gun control laws; but the people that oppose them are so passionate about it (whatever the cost), I don't believe it will ever happen.

Your poll data also shows that support for gun control has dropped dramatically from (69% to 52%) 1998 to 2004.