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For me personally, I've never been anti-gun...I was just never exposed to guns until just a few years ago. Until that point, I didn't really see myself as a handgun owner. My thought processes along this line were altered by uncomfortable experiences where I was extremely concerned for my personal safety. I travel by car a lot around TX and OK, and I found myself in a couple of fairly procarious situations.

Those experiences became knowledge, and the more knowledge I gained, the more I determined that owning/carrying a handgun for defense was a wise move for me. I've been a CHL for several months now, and am rarely without my concealed handgun.

My wife grew-up in a home where guns (mainly rifles & shotguns) were just part of life. Even though she was around guns a lot growing-up, she didn't see the need for owning one as an adult. She didn't like all the bambi heads on the wall in her dad's office. When I started talking to her about getting a handgun for protection, she was dead set against the idea, due to having young children in the house. After an incident early last year with a peeping-tom in the neighborhood, she quickly saw the justification come to life, but was still concerned about access by our children.

Once we adequately addressed the "access" issue, I made the investment. After hearing of some recent female abductions in the Houston area, and the horrific outcomes, she decided that she needed to have one also. She will be taking a gun education/safety course in the near future, and will likely apply for her CHL this summer. She sees the need and is acting on it, but she still gets upset when "guns" are a focus in conversation. She thinks I obsess too much on guns (along with cars, fishing, hunting, etc.)

My point is this...Everyone's position on gun ownership, positive or negative, is formed from several influences...life experiences, opinions from others and fear, among others. In some cases, the fear is so great that it over-rides anything else, including common sense.

When discussing the topic of gun ownership with your friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc., remember this...while it is a God-given right to bear arms, not everyone should own a gun. If they are against the idea completely, that may be a blessing in disguise...don't push it, just let it go.

That's my 0.02