The Hill Country Shooting Sports Center was named this year as a venue to host Olympic shooting competitions, drawing marksmen and media to the quiet Hill Country town of Kerrville.

Clements said that many Kerrville shooters are members of the Bandera club, including area instructors who use Bandera's range to qualify to carry concealed handgun licenses. According to Clements, most area guest ranches are members of the club. International visitors who carry their own firearms here can visit the range and enjoy a round of shooting.

"They are fascinated that Texans can just go out, buy guns and shoot them; they're not restrained from anything, as long as they aren't a convicted felon," Clements said.

...Much as the NRA rubs me the wrong way; I kind of like their minimal rules attitude. This is America, and we have the right to bear arms. I don't think the average person needs an AK-47 or a machine gun, but I think that if you want, and are responsible and well-behaved enough, you should be able to carry a weapon. The NRA loves to stress the point that a criminal's number one deterrent is the thought of an armed victim. They cite FBI data that shows states with right-to-carry laws, like Oregon, have 24 percent lower total violent crime, 22 percent lower murder rates, 37 percent lower robbery rates and 20 percent lower aggravated assault rates.

I hope this incident at the Indigo District does not prompt too many people to shake their fists and yell, "There ought to be a law!" Most gun crimes are committed by criminals, not licensed citizens. What happened this weekend is terrible, but I doubt it will start a trend. Gun control is not the sole responsibly of the government--armed citizens must do their part too. If you do own a gun, you should be a role model and an exemplary citizen. When the line between armed citizens and criminals begins to blur, the right to bear arms will too.