15. "RE: A Musing Upon Firearms"
In response to message #13
Living out in the sticks down here in the deep south, I'd also like to hazard that, while large caliber handguns or rifles may not be absolutely necessary, going for a hike without at least *some* firepower is a fool's errand. We grow snakes *big* here, and not all of them are polite enough to wave their tails around so we can hear them coming. Even the ones that do tend to be viewed as a 'shoot now, ask questions at a safe distance - say, three miles' sort of thing.
Of course, there are those of us who just carry big sticks around to deal with them. I am not one of these.