"JUST BECAUSE I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me" goes an old joke. But the concept drives many gun enthusiasts and hunters. Many truly believe that any regulation of weaponry is a move toward seizure.

In fact, the opposite "grab all guns" fringe is very, very small. Most citizens acknowledge the inevitability of firearms and simply favor common sense regulation of weapons, ammunition and access, not prohibition, never mind the assertions of the National Rifle Assn. (a lobbying organization of profit-driven public relations hacks masquerading as a civil liberties group).

The GOP (Gun Obsessed Party) has predictably lined up in support of its masters, the arms industry. This time, however, there appear to be a few cracks in their armor, some who want to be remembered as statesmen rather than sycophants have indicated they might be willing to support "reasonable" legislation to diminish availability of firearms to the certifiably insane. (We choose to bite our tongues at the idea that all who think they need a machine gun are certifiable.)