The immediate reaction is, a gun is to shoot people. He favors Gov. George W. Bush for president because of the issue. In western Wyoming, hunting is a way of life, bears are plentiful and the nearest neighbor might be 10 minutes away. But a few hundred miles east of Dornan's store and its stacks of fly rods and wading boots, Heather Michalicek worries more about school shootings and urban violence than the Second Amendment. It's a top reason she's voting for Vice President Al Gore.
Opinions run strong on gun control.
On a national basis, it just cuts equally each way, so there's no political advantage to making it a big deal. Gun control did come up in two of the three presidential debates. Gore reiterated that he wants licensing and a waiting period for gun buyers, mandatory trigger locks to prevent accidental use by children and the closing of the gun show loophole that lets buyers, including felons, avoid background checks. Bush took the stance that there are plenty of gun laws already but that they need to be enforced more aggressively. He blames school shootings on a culture that promotes violence and de-emphasizes responsibility.