Fire at will

The zany libertarian inside of me wants to defend assault weapons just as it would defend, oh I dunno, bestiality porn. Both are repulsive and harmful, but even fringe simpletons deserve that creepy margin of freedom, right? But my superego remains convinced that the assault weapon ban was a sensible law with widespread support, and the Republicans' shifty strategem of letting the ban lapse is a glaring indicator of the GOP's fear of democracy. On top of that, the GOP is now actively attempting to put guns back on the streets of the nation's capitol. I'm excited that Kerry is on the attack, though I bet this particular newsbite won't last 48 hours before the firing ranges start echoing with the sustained cackle of legalized 30-round clips. (Great to see that the Strib's Randy Furst is already on the beat!)

Anyway, those of us who don't require a penis augmentation in the form of a Colt AR15 are also actively opposed to the NRA's socially destructive lobbying techniques, so check out the impressive NRA blacklist and ask yourself, which side are you on?