I must admit my own views on guns and gun culture are almost precisely the opposite of this--I firmly believe that if guns are criminalized, only criminals will have guns. I could go on all day about it but this is not the venue.

That said, some of the more radical opponents of gun ownership love it when guns are stigmatized, when they're blamed for the actions of their owners...and when people start thinking it's somehow unacceptable to do nothing more than discuss their history and technology.

I am not an expert on the history of guns; nearly everything you've written about here is news to me and I've found it fascinating. What it has -not- done is make you look in any way insensitive to what's been going on in the news lately. Honestly, I thought of this as a separate subject entirely...and most importantly, not political or related to current events in the slightest.

I understand why you're hesitant, and this is 100% entirely your decision. But I don't really think anyone will mistake your historical and technological interest articles for modern day political commentary or crass insensitivity of any kind.

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Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her