[Jeff Higgins]

I for one own guns simply because I enjoy them. I love to shoot. I have been a very active competitor with the rifle most of my life, as well as a fairly accomplished hunter. I approach the whole gun ownership thing as a hobby, one that has held my interest where others have failed to do so. I enjoy all aspects of the hobby, including reloading my own ammunition, casting my own bullets, and occasionally even buidling a gun. Both of my boys received their first .22 rifles at the age of six and their first centerfires at the age of twelve. They have both always known where the guns are, and how to use any one of them that is in the house; there are several that are loaded. Handling guns for them is a second nature as it has always been for me. Guns have never held that "forbidden fruit" fascination for them, as they never did for me when I was a kid. They have always just been a part of life. No more evil or dangerous than many other things we deal with every day. They have always played a big role in my life, and in my family's lives; I could not imagine life without them. That is why I own guns.