Where do you think you're going with that gun, mister? Toys-R-Us?

Andrea barely missed a shooting at Toys-R-Us. Two Hispanic men argued, drew guns, and opened fire, killing each other.

Andrea called me in tears to talk about it -- ironically, while I was buying ammunition! Hearing the news, I promptly bought another shot gun -- a Mossberg short barrel/long barrel combo, to compliment the Remington 870 Super Magnum I bought the week before!

After her ordeal, I met Andrea in the parking lot of Big 5, gave her a hug and traded cars. (She took the baby. I kept Daniel. The older girls were at a neighbor's.) When I got into Andrea's car, the steering wheel was still wet with her tears.

That inspired me to buy a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, with a 3" barrel.

Guns and ammo are like life insurance. You hope you never need to use them. But how stupid and defenseless would you feel if you needed them and didn't have them?

Until lately, I hadn't shot a weapon since earning a basic marksmanship ribbon with an M-16 in the Air Force. Never thought to own a weapon of my own...until now.

Now I'm stocking up!