"......The ones that have gunshot wounds from accidents were ALWAYS doing something stupid ...".......And typically, "I never do anything stupid-- not me... nope never..."

It's not an argument about gun control. I own two guns and sometimes go camping with one, if I want to do a little hunting.....I'm not interested in gun control, and think the issue is extremely overblown by many gun owners.

It's only my opinion, but I think guns engender fantasies of omnipotence that have little bearing on reality. So can hitting a golf ball, I gather... That can be a fine fantasy, but it's a good idea not to get too carried away with it.

I've lived for ten years in one of the highest-crime cities in the nation, Jersey City, and have yet to directly witness a crime, unless you count a couple of bar brawls where nobody, thank goodness, used a gun for "self defense."

In the back country, I was the victim of a trailhead car break-in once, and also once, a victim of car vandalism. I'm supposed to shoot some hillbilly teenager because he keyed my car or stole $50 worth of luggage?

The only time a cougar ever showed an interest in me, I was unaware of his presence until an instant after he decided against trying to bite my head off. That's their modus operandi for hunting and it works well for them.

Yeah, if a cougar is trying to bite your head off, it's an excellent idea to fight back. But good luck finding your gun at that point and not shooting some bystander or yourself in the process. I think it would be much more efficient to just try peeling the thing off your head before his fangs hit your brain tissue.

I've had black bears trip over my tent guylines. Apparently, yelling obscenities is an effective, ultra-lite defense.

Grizzlies? Human fatalities are quite rare in areas where they are found. It's like a couple every year, divided by the total numbers of hikers in western Canada, Alaska, etc....Even if you push things, the probabilities of being attacked are low.. I've been in their territory not a lot, but a number of times. I do understand that they are a concern and in certain specific and particular circumstances, a firearm might be a reasonable precaution