I'm a proud knife owner

[Flying Squirrel]

38. My brother is a proud gun owner.

As the result of a lawsuit brought against him by an overzealous prosecutor for the crime of flipping up a girl's skirt when he was 14, he lost the right to even hold a.firearm for many years. 20 years later, he is still resentful of having had to register as a sexual offender; with the help of an attorney and after spending $7,000 plus, he has had his rights restored. To him, the ability to own a gun is a symbol of something much greater and he vehemently resists any attempt to take that away from him again.

I have very different views from my brother on guns, but I understand that there are reasons for his viewpoint and I don't try to denigrate him for the way he feels. Perhaps other people in this country also have reasons for their viewpoints. The Second Amendment is a fact of life here in the U.S., and it's not productive to simply say it's BS and denigrate those who feel a sense of pride for owning a gun, for whatever reason. If you really want to help make a difference, first you need to stop being disrespectful of the other side.