And the winner is..

A man in full-blown colonial garb standing on the corner of a busy intersection. He's not breaking-in his Civil War reenactment gear, nor is he awaiting a bus to make his pilgrimage to colonial Williamsburg. He holds his second amendment near and dear to his heart, and he has made it a point to remind you that you share the same valuable liberty.

I can't really remember if my friend admired or cursed her father for such a display, but I know at the time that I was embarrassed for both of them. My reaction was mainly fueled by the in-seventh-grade-parents-are-the-definition-of-lame stage, but a portion of my disapproval derived from my natural dislike for guns.

Basically, I'm scared by their power. I have no desire to handle something that can instantly kill someone with a simple slip of the finger. Sure, I drive a car (they kill a helluva lot of innocent people), but its danger depends on a lot of elements grouped together -- reckless driving, high speeds, other cars, etc.

A gun has one intention only -- to penetrate. Paper, flesh, windows; the result usually is destruction.

Virginia Citizens Defense League hosted a gun raffle Thursday to respond to New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg's effort to crack down on illegal gun-selling in Virginia. The raffle gave away a Para-Ordnance pistol and a Varmint Stalker rifle.

Bloomberg credits such sales as fueling crime in NYC. He began taking action by suing two VA gun shops that illegally sold to undercover private investigators. The money collected at the raffle was put towards paying the lawsuit.

A recent editorial in the Washington Post captured my thoughts exactly of the event. Not only was the raffle distasteful in the wake of the Virginia Tech tradegy but placing $900 weapons in the hands of strangers, who may not be fit to own such possessions, is outrageous.

The article pointed out that VCDL viewed the gun shops as victims, instead of the people. Gun shops selling to customers without following legal procedure puts society at risk. It's not a loss to have the state enforcing laws that keep citizens safe.

So in hindsight, dads, feel free to suit up. I'd tolerate a flash-back from the 1800s before some shotgun giveaway at the local rec center.