As a kid hanging out in a Brooklyn schoolyard in the late 1960s and early '70s, I learned a little about basketball and stickball and a lot about "street smarts."
I developed a macho attitude to make it clear that I wasn't going to take anything from anyone. This tough guy image became a part of my personality.
To this day, when confronted by someone acting hostile, or even if someone passes me too close on the Northway, I have a reflexive inclination to show them how much of a tough guy I am.
When I talk with gun enthusiasts and ask why we need such a proliferation of so many powerful weapons, I often detect the same attitude. They defend their gun ownership with an emotional intensity.
Brothers and sisters, I understand how you feel. I don't blame you for your deeply ingrained behavior. We all need to step out of our behavior patterns and look at ourselves. Think about your attachment to your guns and your opposition to gun control.
Where is it coming from? Is your sense of power from having big guns really more important than preventing thousands of needless murders?
Joe Seeman
Ballston Spa