Jerry from Las Vegas writes, "Until the 1950s we were a provincial country. We lived on our front porches and knew all our neighbors. Then prosperity and fear drove us into our back yards where our bomb shelters had food, water, and guns, which were to be used to kill our neighbors if they tried to get in. Now mobility, elitism, and paranoia have driven us inside walls and security doors, and no one wants to know his neighbors because we fear them. Guns are the same thing as walls — our protection against our fears. I’m not opposed to responsible gun ownership, but if private citizens feel the need to strap on a Colt 45 to gain civility from their neighbors, we are in serious trouble."