I came across a small Reuters item today while scanning the morning news: Boy, 8, shoots girl, 7, at Maryland day care. These kinds of sad stories seem never-ending now, and increasing in frequency.

I would prefer to live in a world without guns, without violence, without metal detectors in high schools and without the trophy heads of dead animals gathering dust on walls to prove the presence of a penis. I do not currently live there, and neither do you, so I do back the option of responsible gun ownership. Not gun ownership, but the option of gun ownership.

I grew up with guns, everywhere. Thanks to a quick-thinking and armed relative, my own young life was preserved on more than one occasion. I might not be here were it not for a pistol in the house.

As a kid, I knew where the guns were hidden. I knew where the ammo was. I also knew these two items, put together the right way, killed people, and that killed people didn't come back. My grandfather taught me how to shoot, and emphasized the terrible responsibility of going armed.

Guns don't impart power. They don't make you forceful or accomplished because you handle them. They certainly don't make you smart. Guns, as a tool, are a concession to the continued collective ignorance and irresponsibility of our species. Every responsible adult should be disgusted by the idea they may need a gun in our civilization.

If your 8 year old child can make it to school with a gun in its backpack, you have no business being a parent, and the child should be removed from your custody for everyone's protection. If your small child kills someone with a gun, you should be jailed for murder through negligence.

Note to NRA members: you're one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the United States. Instead of reinforcing the problem, why don't you step up to the plate and start throwing your muscle around like the ACLU does? I'd like to see you lobbying for laws covering responsible gun ownership. Instead of paying off politicians to endorse the right of every American, no matter how psychologically ill-equipped, to "bear arms," have your lawyers represent the victims of gun crime against irresponsible owners. Enough with the pro-gun rallying... how about some pro-responsibility action?

I endorse the option of gun ownership because I endorse the idea of the responsible individual. A responsible individual may do what they will, at all times. I don't want to live in a world where people are prevented from doing the bad things they desire to. I want a world where people embody the highest possible qualities of humanity, and don't commit atrocities because they don't want to.

Here's an open secret: as much as we try to disbelieve it, we are all responsible individuals.

Every day we make a continued string of choices about our course through life: what shall I eat, should I go to work, I'd love to throw my coffee in that bastard's face, maybe I'll have an affair, I could swerve into oncoming traffic right now, perhaps I'll run for office, but then I would have to go up against the big scary government, I really wish I could break out of this, but I'm stuck, I've had enough, I'm making my move! The choices and the consequences are your responsibility, including the choices to trust, ask for help, offer help, teach someone, learn from someone, work together. Everything you do is your decision, and killing with a gun is no different.

We can't grow a culture of smart, self-aware, responsible individuals, capable of making good decisions daily, by legislating guns away. The best we can do with laws is create a slightly safer space for development until the next irresponsible person shows up with an AK-47. The fastest way to move toward a world where guns have less influence is to teach responsibility, driving home the consequences of its lack. Responsibility works in every area. From a "culture of life" to "building affluence" to "fixing the environment" to "gun control," responsibility is the foundation on which all sustainable progress is built.

When everyone is responsible, and interest in the well-being of all is shared by all because it's the best world for everyone, we'll have no need for guns. Every single person will feel comfortable exercising their option not to own a gun.

We'll all be responsible enough to melt them down for garden gear.