I was talking to someone who owns guns just the other day. That describes more than 2/3 of my neighbors, and they're just the ones I know about.

This guy is involved in the community, he's good to his wife and kids, he donates time and money to worthwhile organizations. He's not a Christian, which makes him an anomaly here. He has a job that requires a security clearance, so he's taken more psych tests than you could shake a stick at. He's a good neighbor, and you'd probably like him. He has a selection of guns for target shooting, and he has a collection of rifles that represent the weapons American soldiers have used during the 20th century. This includes an AR-15. He actually prefers his M-1 Garand for targets.

So, he said, suppose they pass a law that says I have to register my AR-15, because it can be converted to full auto, and get a chip put in it, and all this, at my own expense probably, even though the only law I ever broke was speeding. Suppose they even let me keep it, which I don't believe they will. Suppose I go along and don't make a peep about any of this. What do I get out of this?

You get the satisfaction of knowing that people who don't have guns will sleep better at night. And it may make the world safer, I said.

You know I don't believe it will make the world safer, he said, and the people who don't sleep well will find something else to worry about. So what will they give me in return? Do I get a national gun transportation permit for the ones they haven't taken yet, so I don't have to worry about the different laws here and there? Probably not. Do I get special consideration at aircraft security for being upfront and cooperative with the new and improved gun laws? Do I get free coffee forever? [That was sarcasm; he drinks tea.] Really, they want me to give up something important to me for them. What will they give me? Nothing, that's what.

If the gun control discussion continues this way, with "nothing, that's what", there will be no discussion. There will be continued acrimony, and there will be a black market.

So, what does anyone have to say to my neighbor? This is equipment he has invested in, and enjoys using. He's no threat. He is very conscious of safe storage, use and transportation of his guns. He's like an awful lot of "gun nuts" in the USA. What can anyone offer him, as part of a good-faith negotiation with gun owners, apart from a hearty handshake from someone whose point of view means nothing to him?