But what do guns really DO?

I saw a bumper sticker on my way to Austin today that really confused me. If it's true, then guns can only be used for good. I'll admit, though, it goes against everything I've learned about guns. The bumper sticker said:

Guns Save Lives
Maybe Yours

That's right. Guns save lives. But, as we've all learned: Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Without getting too political and without interpreting the Constitution, I want to share two of my thoughts about guns.

1. C'mon, Using Guns Is Cheating

Before I lose too many people, I like guns. I think they are super cool. I used to play "guns" when I was a kid, and -- not to brag or anything -- I was good at it. It's good we didn't use live ammo. Now that we know that:

I equate guns in hunting to HGH in baseball: both are performance enhancers that give an unfair advantage to the person using. No matter your game -- deer, birds, human -- it just ain't fair to the other. If hunting is a game, then using a gun is like LeBron playing a bunch of children. I want to see some barehanded stuff like my friends Carson Runge and Stuart White in the video below. If not barehanded, not more than a knife or bow & arrow.



If Brad Pitt can take on a bear with knife, some ingenuity can definitely get you a deer. Then again, a lot of people don't mind cheating.

2. It's Not About the Gun; It's About Control

Now that Number 1 is settled, let's hit this second point. When you have a gun and your "competition" doesn't, you are in control. The decision to use it is yours. The ability to hit the target is yours. The responsibility is yours. Most people want to be in control. More and more people do not want to be responsible. Unfortunately, the equation is Control leads to Power. As Stan Lee reminds us, with great Power comes great Responsibility.

3. What's the Point?

We need to stop fooling ourselves with semantics. People kill people with guns. Guns save lives when used appropriately by people. Both of the mantras used tell only part of the story. Without the proper training and an understanding of the responsibility, a person should not have a gun. When guns are used or misused, a person is always to blame.

Guns don't DO without YOU.*

And, besides, it's cheating.

* I'll take the credit for this cheesy tagline until someone claims otherwise.