With all of my many activities, I find my sleep patterns to be anything but normal. Most nights I may not find the bed until at least midnight, and I'm always up around 5:30 to 6:00 anyway. Am I an early bird? I would say, no. I find that my best work, in terms of writing, comes late in the evening hours especially once everyone has gone to bed and the house is quiet. Throw in a thunderstorm off in the distance, and I can write like a mad man. And yes, bloodshot is my normal eye color.

I think for this post, I will take on the great "gun" debate that has pretty much enveloped the media within the last few months. I think what everyone needs to do is look at the issue from the perspective of all sides.

Assault weapons versus single shot weapons:
First, we must understand that the assault weapons are here, and are not going away anytime soon. So let's accept a fact that we cannot change. If honest, law abiding people have assault weapons, then the criminals do so as well. What should we do? Simple...offer training and informative resources to those individuals who choose to own any type of firearm. A well trained and confident marksman would be better than a person who locks a handgun away and only yanks it out when frightened. Remember the Shakiest Gun In The West!

Ammo Capacity:
Ten rounds, twenty, thirty? Instead of focusing on what a criminal may or may not have, why not address the issue in respect to the trained and skillful marksman. A higher capacity ammo clip requires more skill and concentration than a comparable one of smaller size, thereby negating the need for additional training and practice by the marksman. The current thought in the national media is this: If a criminal has to reload more often, then, that slight pause may allow more time for a defensive strike. NEWS FLASH. Smaller capacity clips will only equal to more and more clips in possession and clips that are much quicker and easier to load. An expert marksman should be able to change clips by the second. Why not address the issue at hand. Keep guns out of the hands of those who have or will misuse them.

Open Carry Versus Concealed Carry:
It can be somewhat scary having people openly carry firearms on their hips, like the cowboys of the old west; save for the fact that they also become targets in a shooting situation. Is there a need for an open show of force, or rather preserve the element of surprise? I think history will prove that guerrilla tactics are more effective than open battles. Hence, is how we won our Independence and got our butts kicked in 'Nam. Behold the shadow warrior!

My solution:
There is no easy solution, only a carefully constructed plan of action. First, put the gun debate aside. Second, put a gag order on the media to put the matter on silence for awhile, and keep from tearing open the old scars. We can't control the guns without overstepping constitutional grounds, but we can control how the users are trained and screened. I have to be thoroughly screened to drive an 80,000lb truck on the highway, and believe me is no easy process. Why not have similar means for those wishing to own firearms? Not to control or harass them, but rather to ensure full competency behind the trigger and after the hammer strike.

Which scenario sounds better: A well armed and fully trained neighbor, or thugs with britches down to their ankles and UZI's sticking out the fruit of the looms. Yeah, the new look for Al Pacino.