a well regulated militia

In the past week, we've seen reports of horrific gun-related crimes at a frequency unusual even for the good ol' firearm-obsessed US of A. Jiverly Wong killing 13 people at civic center in Birmingham, NY. James Harrison shooting and killing his five children, aged 7 to 16 years old, in Graham, WA. Richard Poplawski shooting and killing three police officers (and wounding three others) with an assault rifle in Pittsburgh, PA.

According to Poplawski's best friend, Edward Perkovic, Polawski feared, "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon."

Obama gun ban? Where could he have gotten that idea?

(In case you were wondering, that is an official NRA site.)

Of course, we can always count of our courageous media to set us straight. According to Fox "News" "commentator" (and yes, each deserves it's own scare quotes) Glenn Beck:

"I mean, I think these guys -- these guys, they'll take away guns, they'll take away our sovereignty, they'll take away our, our, our currency, our money! They're already starting to put all the global framework in with this bullcrap called global warming! This is an effort to globalize and tie together everybody on the planet, is it not?"

In February, the FBI reported that requests for background checks for firearm purchases increased to 1,259,078, up 23.3% from the same month a year ago. And that's dwarfed by the record 1,529,635 reported in November 2008, an astonishing 42% jump over the previous November. In many communities across the country, gun dealers report that they simply can't keep up with the demand

I guess that in the midst of this economic disaster, it's good to know there is at least one segment of the economy that's not only surviving, but booming. 

I know that sure makes me feel safer.