Originally Posted by Joe Obenberger

Finally, the original poster has entirely missed the point of my last post and I just don't know how to make it plainer: the whole point of a "right" is that you don't have to re-argue the matter or justify or defend how you exercise it. When a right is established, it is no longer necessary to tell people why you take advantage of it. And the correct answer to "why do you need to . . . ", whether it's about voting, reading or writing a book, publishing or viewing porn, traveling between states, refusing to admit warrantless agents into your home, or having firearms is - "it's none of your business". That's the only answer the original poster deserves. When you can only vote by giving some official an explanation, it's no longer a "right". For one year, my own website, xxxlaw.com, has said on its front page: "Personal freedom and privacy need no excuse." I count gun rights as a matter of personal freedom and societal protection from tyranny.