Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. They say that because flying always involves risk.

A few days ago, one Clay Duke walked into a school board meeting, drew a gun, drew a V (for Vendetta) on the wall, and threatened to kill people. After spraying a few shots, Duke was wounded by a security guard, then shot and killed himself. Firearm enthusiasts and manly men (actually a few commenters at The Truth About Guns) complained that the only person that resisted was a woman with a handbag ("Never bring a handbag to a gunfight"), that none of the men present tried to jump the gunman during the nine seconds he was wrestling with her and that one fellow was begging for his life. Nevertheless, despite many shots fired, everyone walked away alive (except Duke), so it was a good shooting (except for Duke).

Still every person on that school board is damned lucky to be alive.

The Washington Post offers a long article to the effect that the ATF plays Washington Generals to the NRA's Harlem Globe Trotters:
(Subscription may be required)

When Ronald Reagan came into office, the NRA nearly succeeded in its longtime goal of abolishing ATF. Reagan wanted to eliminate the agency and transfer its powers to the Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service. But NRA leaders decided they preferred the weak devil they knew to stronger new regulators. Quietly and somewhat awkwardly, they lobbied to undo their accomplishment. "As long as ATF existed, the firearms lobby could utilize it as a symbolic opponent," Vizzard said. "Without an ATF, the firearms lobby lost a key actor in the ritual drama - the villain."

Anyway, it's a good time to buy a gun, according to Media Matters:

... as people have realized that the Obama administration has no covert plans to institute sweeping gun seizures, gun sales have fallen dramatically. In addition, executives say that many of the guns bought in reaction to Obama's election are now being re-sold on the secondary market, further depressing new gun sales.

I doubt Media Matters wants you to take advantage of these low, low prices, but seriously - all these Smith & Wesson 357s are on sale at our local gun shop. I hope my wife reads this before Xmas.