Gun control is a very divisive issue in California. The US Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, but it does not prohibit reasonable regulation of that right. Different parts of the state, and of the country, have different situations regarding firearms. Families in farm country, far from a local sheriff’s office, need to protect themselves. For city-dwellers, however, publicly carrying a firearm might present a greater risk of harm. Should we defer to rules set by counties and cities rather than state-wide approaches? Should there be national minimum standards? The orthodox Republican view objects to virtually any curbs on gun ownership; the orthodox Democratic view requires a legislator to support virtually any restriction on gun ownership or use.