I don't know how I feel about guns. I've never been a big fan. One of my scary flashbacks is when I had to fight to stop my dad opening our living room (den) door. I could see my brother standing in the hall with a gun pointed at the door, just waiting to get a clear shot as my dad came through. My dad was furious at something my brother had done, and just kept trying to get the door open. I kept hanging onto the door handle, and sticking my foot in the way of the door to stop it opening. I remember my mum standing crying with her hands over her face. She never knew about the gun either. I never told my dad about it. I yelled at my brother that he was going to be late for work and he left. Just like that! one minute he is intent on shooting our father, the next he is calmly picking up his bike gear and heading off to work!!

I would like to say that I had never been so terrified in my life, but there were many more times. The gun in question was only a 22 air rifle, and probably wouldn't have killed my dad. I was only 13 and didn't know anything about guns, so at the time, my brain just said "guns kill people".

People have a right to defend themselves, and if having a gun is a deterrent to would be rapists and thieves, then good. There will always be people who use guns for harming people, just like they use their fists, baseball bats, knives, words. If the weapons are there, they will be used. We all have a right to defend ourselves against that.