Like everyone here, I'm getting nervous. And I was saddened to hear of the deaths of the folks in Atlanta. Nobody enjoy seeing citizens--innocent ones--killed by a nut with a firearm. My thoughts are with the survivors and families. Heck, a former girlfriend, I learned recently, was shot to death by some crazed addict robbing her apartment 'way back in the late 70's. It will always bother me.

BUT. What can we do-? We in this community are NOT a threat to anyone but a home invader, etc., or a big ol' eight-pointer or wild hog. We are the Good Guys. How can this be made plain and clear to these idiotic politicians-? I used to own rent houses. My tenants were low income, mostly good people, a few a little shady. I got to know them well. One thing was clear: it ain't a big challenge to find a black-market pistol. Couple o' hours, man, tops. Cheap. Have these do-gooders ever stopped to consider the underground economy that thrives across the country and our borders-? Banning the sale of a class of weapon only heightens the possibility of a robbery [attempt] to get OURS.

In Texas, we hear a lot of TV quick hits about the Mexican "drug wars" (great business for the shadow companies here. The US is paying mercenaries to train Mexican soldatos who inevitably defect and work for the cartels). Naturally, the talking heads excitedly blab over videotape of captured arms & ammo & piles of dope and dollars, eager to insist the guns came from the Southern US states contiguous with Mexico. Okay--if these were no longer readily available, would not the cartels--who have infinite cash resources--simply buy sea-cans full of AK's from overseas-? To these cats, it's strictly business. They WILL find weapons.

Better we should simply outlaw insanity & cruelty instead of banning guns. (Sorry if I'm rambling; just trying to prepare for the fight of our lives.) All I can do is petition the lawmakers, fer or agin', and hope for success. In Texas, the TSRA deserves mention; they are a scrappy bunch. Meanwhile, it's time to fill the sandbags, I guess. Right now, I'm gonna sit on the porch and enjoy the rain.