I agree that a school based course may be the way to go on this.

It is civics, after all :)

I don't understand the antipathy towards a registration system akin to the DMV and cars. I think that one should have a license issued by the state before he or she can use them-but it shouldn't be issued until after taking some sort of safety course (maybe in school like others suggested). Set up a grandfather clause and a 2 year grace period to make the adjustment, but I think this would be a good thing that in no way infringed on a person's rights.

I can sorta agree with that, but the counter argument is that driving is a privilege while own firearms is a right.

In otherwords, would you also agree do training and licenses before you could exercise your right to free speech?

The other argument against registration is that it is the first step to confiscation.

Now you personally may argue this won't happen, but that is EXACTLY what happened first in England and then in Australia. People were told that guns would never be confiscated (just registered) and then BOOM, they were.

Given that many congresspersons are on record saying they want to outlaw all guns (Shumer, Feinstein, etc.), I don't think this helps calm that fear.

Folks do need to get licenses from local government before they stage protests, but I'm not sure there really is a good comparison to be made with speech.

I just wish common sense could be knocked into some politicians (and people for that matter). Republicans: I don't want to take your guns away, I just want to make things safer for everybody. Democrats: guns are a part of the American fabric, it's a part of what we are - they aren't going to go away.

Of all the candidates out there, Dean really has the most rational stand on this issue: let the states decide what is best for them. It just so happens the constitution agrees with him too: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state..."