Oh goody, more hate mail. This particular fan of the Universe was too cowardly to leave a valid email address, so I'm forced to respond publicly. Since he didn't even leave his name, I'll just call him Sarah, in honor of my favorite reactionary gun grabber Sarah Brady. The article that triggered Sarah's emotional outburst is this one from a few weeks ago, where I noted a fatal shooting that had occured very near to where I live.

Ravenwood wrote:

"As if I needed to justify my reason for carrying a gun, this fatal shooting occured right next door to where I live."

Sarah whines:

Thanks for using my dead friend to stoke your weak justification for owning a gun.

Why is it people that send hate mail always seem to be related to someone featured in the news story? Back when I was doing Defending Your Life stories, I used to get mail all the time from people claiming to be relatives of the dead goblin. They would chastize me for casting their "dead friend" in a negative light. 'Yeah, he was raping the bitch, but she had no reason to shoot him. He's really just a good kid.' Whatever.

But this guy wasn't necessarily a goblin. I guess it could have been gang related, but all that was reported was that the guy was dead. I didn't opine as to whether or not it was good or bad. Lacking more detail, "dead friend" seems to be an innocent victim in all this. My use of his death for a gun rights piece is no more shameless than the Brady Bunch's constant use of deaths to further their freedom grabbing campaign. I think people just throw that in there thinking that if they know the guy, it lends credence to their otherwise incredible argument. But I digress.

The story is not about a weak justification of my need to own a gun. It is not really about justification at all so much as explanation. In fact I even state "as if I needed to justify", which clearly states that I think I do not. But there are people out there that really want justification, so I figured I would provide some evidence. And considering that someone actually died, I don't think the justification/explanation is 'weak' at all.

Also, it's not about my need to own a gun, rather my desire to carry a gun. Maybe it's just semantics, but I am a stickler for details. Technically I don't need to justify either activity to anyone. I'm a free person and will carry a gun if I so choose. I hate to bloviate so much on the first sentence, but it was packed with so many elements that needed a response: 'dead friend'; 'weak justification'; and 'owning a gun'. I guess I could have just said "you're welcome".

While contributing to the problem of gun ownership...

Hold everything. Who says gun ownership is a problem? Millions of Americans own guns and it's not a problem. It seems to me that the only problem around here is whiny gun fearing wussies trying to force their will on other people.

...and proliferation...

Proliferation is a myth that gun grabbers made up. Their belief is that the mere existance of guns is what makes people evil. That he even used the word 'proliferation' implies that he belongs to some organized anti-gun group.

...(not to mention introducing ordinance to your neighborhood)...

I think he means ordnance. Introducing an ordinance (as in a gun ban ordinance) to my neighborhood is what gun grabbers want to do.

...all that thing is going to do is keep inflating your bullshit John Wayne sense of safety.

Actually, owning a firearm really does increase my safety. It's banning law-abiding citizens from owning guns that, for some reason, seems to give gun fearing wussies a 'sense of safety'.

...I'm sure your gun kept you plenty safe that afternoon, asshole.

Well, I didn't get shot like "dead friend" did. Maybe if Boo had a gun, Boo wouldn't have got shot.

...I'm sure if we all carried weapons. we'd be as safe as you.

Sarcasm is not his strong point.

...Pick other anecdotes to back up your disgusting, primitive views on weapons you dink-penised mook of a fucking troglodyte.

I'll pick any anecdotes I want, and there is not a damn thing this guy can do about it. And nice ad hominem attacks. Truly the tool of a weak mind. That word of the day toilet paper is really paying off for this guy.