Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Some nosebleed sent this in to the local rag’s letter to the editor page:

No reason for assault weapons
We do not own guns, but we do respect the Second Amendment to the Constitution, the right to bear arms. Our son and grandsons are hunters; we value their rights as long as they are responsible gun owners. We also respect the right of our neighbors to have a gun to protect themselves and their property. However, assault weapons do not fit into either of the above categories. Assault weapons have one purpose: to kill people. When the Second Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, such assault weapons, as are currently available, were unthinkable.

Therefore, it was both disappointing and alarming to read the statement of our Montana congressional delegation: their unqualified rejection of the current administration’s attempt to ban all assault weapons. We understand the political strength of the gun lobby in Montana, which can make or break a politician. However, it is frightening to realize that our elected representatives in Washington are being held hostage to the arrogant demands of Montana’s gun lobby in return for its political support.

We therefore urge all Montanans who believe in the right to bear arms in conjunction with the responsibility therein, to speak out in support of the current resolution to ban those so-called “assault weapons,” which not only take lives but contribute to the surge in violence in this already violent country.

Now, come on, it’s Montana fer crying out loud…we aren’t exactly a high crime area even though we’re better armed than many small countries. Heck, its because we’re so well armed that we have a lower crime rate. So, I fired off my own missive to the editorial page:

[name’s] letter of April 24 calling for a ban on undefined ‘assualt weapons’ contains two contrary statements. [Name] respects “the right of our neighbors to have a gun to protect themselves and their property” but would deny them guns that “have one purpose: to kill people”. Perhaps [name] somehow feels that we should be defending ourselves with guns that aren’t designed to kill people. I believe they’re in the toy department at WalMart, the brand name is “Nerf”. I value my life and wife’s life enough that when self-defense with a gun is our only option for continued safety I want the meanest, ugliest, most evil looking bullet spewing contraption that ever stalked a battlefield. Actually, I want two of them – one for me and one for the wife. [Name] is welcome to use a rolled up newspaper, flyswatter or one of those little toy guns that has a cork on a string sticking in the end of the barrel; my wife and I will keep our ‘assault weapons’ and urge others to do the same.

I would bet money the original letter writer isn’t “from around here” and hails from CA, CO, IL, NY or some similar venue.