This Montana columnist is a gun owner - no apologies, thank you very much - but he also knows what it means to be a truly "law-abiding" one.

A must-read in today's Great Falls Tribune:

In mid-June the U.S. Supreme Court decided that we have a right to own and keep guns — even handguns — in our homes. The court was 5-4 in favor of striking down a Washington, D.C. ban on that constitutionally guaranteed right. The ruling suits me.

But bewilderment quickly overshadows my relief since over the last few months here in Great Falls we have had several young people shoot and kill or wound friends:

• July 6: A Great Falls man allegedly shot a friend in the leg as the two drank cough syrup, smoked marijuana and played with firearms.

• June 22: A man allegedly shot and seriously wounded a 23-year-old friend when the two were holding a quick draw contest in an apartment. The shooter told police that he forgot his gun was loaded.

• In May, a decorated veteran of the Iraq conflict allegedly shot and killed a fellow airman while they were "joking around" at a backyard party. The dead man reportedly displayed a knife and offered to shave the shooter; the accused shooter upped the ante by drawing his handgun.

There were other incidents in the state of Montana, but you get the point.

What the heck is going on here?...

...

In Montana, as of last Friday, there were 17,036 valid concealed weapons permits in the Department of Justice system. To get one you have to pay $50 and apply for a permit. The county sheriff issues permits after conducting a background check and requesting proof of some kind of gun training. Let's hope that number represents the lawful gun toters. Who knows how many people had a clean enough record to buy a handgun but not enough common sense to get fully trained in its operation and how to use it.

It boils down to this: The highest court in the land says we have the right to carry guns and defend ourselves. It's up to us to act within the law, to avoid escalating a situation by adding the element of a weapon and finally, for the love of God, guns are not toys. Guns seldom make people laugh.

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