What the OP of this thread deals with is a cybermagazine that  is raffling off handguns as prizes in a raffle to foster new subsriptions. It is a sucker gimmick, the cybermagazine is planning to make much more money through new subscriptions that it will cost to give the handguns away.

It must be seen that this constitutes gambling, trying to gain something for nothing, which is questionable at best in terms of morality.  It is no more moral or immoral than raffling off a car or a vacation to Hawaii or a million dollars in the Publishers' Clearinghouse or the State Lottery.

The cheapest and surest way to obtain a firearm is to buy your own da**ed gun!

Owning guns gives a false sense of security.  It is an irrational  expression of fear.  Aggressors will allway have the upper hand because they control the element of surprise. There is no way to avoid that.

 The gun lovers always latch onto the few incidents where a gun was actually useful, but 99% of unlawful acts  are surprise attacks.  When one learns what is in  the minds of the attacker, it is already too late and makes no difference what one is carrying. 

 And if it one plans too much for one's defense, one is likely to be accused of premeditation. Ask Zimmerman.

May 29, 2012 -- 9:29AM, arielg wrote:

Owning guns gives a false sense of security.  It is an irrational  expression of fear.  Aggressors will allway have the upper hand because they control the element of surprise. There is no way to avoid that.

 The gun lovers always latch onto the few incidents where a gun was actually useful, but 99% of unlawful acts  are surprise attacks.  When one learns what is in  the minds of the attacker, it is already too late and makes no difference what one is carrying. 

 And if it one plans too much for one's defense, one is likely to be accused of premeditation. Ask Zimmerman.

If I lived in an area where I felt compelled to carry a defense mechanism on the street, I would select bear spray.

At home, a firearm might be more useful. I figure if somebody goes through all the effort to cross my threshold with ill intent toward my wife and children, all bets are off at that point -- and they can feel free to either leave in haste, or attempt to negotiate with the business end of a 12 gauge. 

I see you've already reached a verdict about Zimmerman. Do you read palms too or is it just a party trick?

I think there is a verdict in the air, regardless of what the sleazy lawyers come up with.  The guy carried a  gun, like many people do, for "self  defense". He will learn that carrying a gun does not make you safe, even if he is not the one who got shot.