I just realized the strange juxstaposition of the Supreme Court opinion and the baby shot himself stories

I assure that it wasn't intentional. Those were the two stories that caught my attention today. And for some these might represent two different schools of thought on the issue of guns.

Surely it's clear to most of you my position on guns. I believe people should be allowed to have a gun mainly for their own self-defense. I don't care if you live in Winnetka or if you live in Englewood or Roseland, two city neighborhoods where there is crime.

When gun control was proposed surely those who proposed such legislation and indeed their enactment were well meaning. Of course I'm sure there are those of us who sees this as window dressing, that is this is just good PR for the politicians to be sure that the public knows that this problem of crime is getting a good look. Of course some of the proposals by the politicians are at times a bit simplistic.

While the public get the satisfaction they need in knowing that our leaders are working on the problem at hand something else might be at work. Perhaps these guns that our leaders might seek to curb are not in the hands of criminals, but in the hands of law-abiding citizens. I could see that as an unintended consequence. Of course it doesn't matter to some if there's a gun around something bad is always going to happen no matter how responsible that person is.

Don't misunderstand me here. Guns are dangerous and we should be scared of them. If you're a gun owner you above all should understand that a gun is a dangerous tool. And the story about the child shooting himself in the head should underscore that.

Of course the fact that a gun is dangerous is enough for some to want to call for it's banning. Of course there are other items that are dangerous and could harm, kill, or maim.

For instance, knives are dangerous they can certainly main, harm or kill. Should we ban knives of all types? Should it matter that people don't normally use knives in those ways, but knives are used to cook and prepare food mainly?

What about cars? Cars can cause more damage than a gun or a knife. If you're an environmentalist you believe cars are dirtying our clean air, polluting it. But to bring it back down to earth cars can kill. Cars can run over people as they had a man in Hartford, Connecticut. They can be used in the commission of a homicide. Do we ban cars in that case?

Also I was looking at the Capitol Fax blog today. There are a lot of round about arguments trying to argue whether or not the court is an activist court or even if the court is legislating from the bench. I accept that the court has at times been an activist court where they certainly impart their world view on their rulings. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong.

I could say on abortion they got it wrong, although I can't argue with a right to privacy if I understand the case of Roe v. Wade aside from the whole abortion issue where my stance is certainly against abortion. I would say there that the court pulled the right to an abortion out of the blue. In the comments section on the Capitol Fax, one commenter didn't mention that.

One mentioned the court striking down laws against discrimination as a violation of equal protection. They mention that as a case of a double standard between conservatives and liberals. The conservative believes that the judiciary is legislating from the bench or are judicial activists while those who are opposed to gun control seems to be arguing the same thing that the court is being activist. At that this is to more or less attempt to highlight how if conservatives get the ruling they want then what the court does is OK, but on the other hand the conservatives complain when liberals get the ruling they want. When the court rules no one gets what they want.

Well in any event we're going to hear some bellyaching. Mayor Daley doesn't want to lose his gun bans and promised to fight any attempts to overturn it vigourously. I suppose gun control in America's cities aren't over yet by a longshot. Oh btw there's one other thing I want to add.

Newsalert earlier this week posted an announcement of a second amendment rally to be held on July 11th at the Thompson Center. If you believe law-abiding citizens should be able to own and use a gun for their own self-defense. I should go because I support that right. Hopefully politicians will recognize that there are people who believe they have that right.