HOW 2014 BECAME the year of the gun-toting candidate.

It can be, for some people, an ‘eff you’ item.... “Right? We’re going to show you it’s not about the gun—it’s about whose hand the gun is in. The gun becomes destigmatized, because in the hands of a law-abiding citizen, it’s an item for self-defense.

There's a lot of truth to that statement. My new AR-15 is a beautiful weapon and a joy to shoot, but it's a lot of rifle for someone who no longer hunts and now only shoots at paper targets. Nevertheless, just in case at some point in the future I need it, I'll have it.