A member of my f-list wrote a very angry comment on people who criticized the American attitude to firearms, which I cannot help feeling is not casual just after I published this remark. And to show just how rational and reasonable and open to debate their fondness for people-killing tools really is, he has locked the comments facility.

I cannot say that this further evidence of openness and rationality makes the thought of American "right to bear arms" any more comfortable to me.