>And I don't like the idea of people other than law enforcement carrying guns. That's a great way for minor disagreements to become deadly ones.
>
>The problem with gun control is that the law abiding citizens then do not have any guns. But the criminals have no problem getting them illegally.

That is a valid point. Just to be clear, I am not advocating a total ban on legal gun ownership. My view is that automatic weapons have no legitimate use and should be banned. I am not against owning guns for hunting and self protection. And I think the right to carry guns should be limited.

That is my position. Please respond to that rather than to a straw man stereotype. I am not for banning all guns. Is that putting it clearly enough?

You are really in for a treat when The West Wing makes its way to you from John B. One of the striking things about is that the issues in the late 90s and early zeroes (we really need a good name for the last decade) are the same ones still being vehemently argued today. Gun control, tax cuts, school prayer, on and on. It's a good demonstration of how divided we are as a nation. We came together in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 but even that quickly dissipated. One nation, divided....

One benefit of watching The West Wing as obsessively as I have been is that it may have solved the riddle of what to name the upcoming puppy. (Have I happened to mention that I am getting a puppy? I am getting a puppy). The name game has been tougher than I thought it would be. The name the breeder gave her is a non-starter because it is the same name as my ex-girlfriend's daughter. AFAIK we will not get back together but even if it's a how are you doing talk on the phone, I don't want to have this discussion -- "You named your dog after my daughter?!" No no no. Then I was thinking of naming the puppy after one of my ex-wife's sisters, since she epitomizes the good traits attributed to golden retrievers -- intelligence, sunniness, loyalty, good looks. I decided that might be a little too weird. So now I am leaning toward C.J., who is the press secretary on The West Wing. She is strong, vulnerable, fast on her feet, often caught between what she believes and what her role demands she say. Among so many great characters, she is one of my two favorites. Sound much like a golden puppy? No, not much. I just think it would be fine to name a puppy after her. I am very close to being able to move on to lesser issues ;-)