I don't know what you mean by "your position." I'm as pro-gun as you are or pretty close. My position as a gunner and gun rights advocate isn't supported by a large base, quite the opposite. I said shortly after joining the board our fraternity will decline in numbers and influence with each generation, and only smarts and consummate PR skills will keep us in the shooting game.

My children and grandchildren tried guns and hunting and lost interest mostly because of the killing. Target shooting was okay for a year or two. They didn't get the Bambi sin-to-kill from me. I make no apologies for my killing and tell friends who confront me that it's the way I was brought up, to get over it because my type will be gone like the dinosaurs in their lifetimes.

The naysayers of guns and hunting and killing know why they hate it; they're disgusted by it. Shooting anything is abhorrent. I've been scratching my head for the last month trying to find a silver bullet for moderation, accommodation, something more than Lott et al, the facts we always trot out (with barren results).

I have an idea I'm trying to sell for a better-informed general populace based on national pride. We'll see.