Guns

While I'm definitely a peace-loving gal, I can't deny the influence that war and weaponry have had on home decor as of late. From gun vases to bullet planters, it seems as if product designers have a different definition of homeland security than our national leaders. While this may be a commentary on our society's obsession with weapons, I'm still not necessarily willing to stock my home with guns — be they real or made of ceramic.

Still, some of the designs are too provocative to ignore. Take the Diamantini & Domeniconi Cuckoo Bunker Wall Clock ($720). Instead of a woodland scene, this cuckoo (actually, it looks more like a dove to me, which only adds to the appeal) is hunkered down in a bunker. Assembled from 111 small green bricks, the cuckoo/dove sits in the middle of this bunker, and wears a helmet to protect itself from the battle at hand.

For additional items that will boost your homeland security, read more

Shooting rampages filled today's headlines. In Alabama, a man killed a dozen people, including the members of his own family. Over in Germany, a 17-year-old boy attacked a high school, killing at least 16 people.

When attacks occur, European countries often hurry to tighten gun laws. Following two school massacres within a year, Finland announced plans today to raise the minimum age for handgun ownership from 15 to 20. In Belgium, lawmakers passed strict gun laws in 2006 after a racially motivated shooting of a toddler and her black babysitter. In Portugal, the parliament is considering denying bail to anyone suspected of a gun crime.

American lawmakers have responded, too. After the Virginia Tech massacre, the governor signed an executive order requiring that anyone ordered by law to get mental health treatment be added to a database of people barred from buying guns.

Do you think this is the correct response to gun-related tragedies?

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• A gunman in Alabama killed 11 people yesterday, including his mother, his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, the wife and child of a sheriff deputy, and himself. — CNN
• Stocks opened with a gain again today, as Wall Street hopes to extend big gains made yesterday. — MSN
• Pakistan arrested hundreds of opposition activists today and banned protests in two regions ahead of a planned rally outside parliament. — AP
• President Obama plans to lay out a new set of guidelines for Congress's earmark process. He will sign the spending bill today that has 9,000 earmarks. — CNN
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks Congress may have to approve another stimulus plan in order to ease the effects of the recession. — Washington Post
• Citigroup and General Motors might be removed from the Dow Jones Indexes, if the government takes more control of the companies. — Reuters

Attorney General Eric Holder ">announced yesterday that the administration will reinstate a ban on assault weapons.

Before you get too worried that Obama is taking unprecedented steps to limit your right to bear arms, know that he just wants to reinstate the ban that expired in 2004. In 1994, Congress banned 19 types of semi-automatic military-style guns and ammunition clips with more than 10 rounds.

Holder's statements yesterday focused on the positive impact the ban will have . . . in Mexico! Drug traffickers south of the border often buy sophisticated weapons in the US, according to the Mexican government. And Mexico needs all the help it can get fighting the drug traffickers, since 6,000 people were killed last year due to drug violence.

Holder also explained how the ban fits into Obama's broader plan on guns:

As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.

Does this sound like good gun control policy?

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