Dear Dr. Speed,

First off, thanks for writing.  Glad to hear that you've been enjoying my
comic strip for so long.  And yes, you do have my full permission to show
strip #8 of the "Assault!" storyline on your page, especially as you plan to
link back to my page.  I can always use a bit more exposure. :-)

Please bear in mind, however, that I do not have a strong opinion one way or
another regarding the whole controversy regarding gun control in the United
States.  I don't feel well-educated enough on the subject to really take a
stand, one way or another.  For one thing, I'm Canadian, so the issue is not
as prevalent here as it is in America.

The strip I drew wasn't so much my way of making a statement on how I feel
about gun control so much as it was my way of having a bit of (hopefully)
harmless fun with the whole controversy.  If anything, I was trying to poke
fun at radicalism in general.  In the strip, Bruno and Fiona went beyond
merely having a strong opinion on "pea-shooter" control, and decided to
attack one another.  Don't get me wrong: there's nothing wrong with taking a
strong stand on issues you believe in, but problems arise when we put on
blinders and refuse to even consider another point of view.  We see the
people we disagree with as "enemies", or "bad guys", and the conflict can get
quite ugly.  I'm sure you've seen the worst brought out in those who favor
gun control, as well as those who favor your constitutional right to bear
arms (i.e. with friends like these...).

Anyway, time for me to get off the soap-box.  As I say, you're welcome to
show the Bruno strip in question on your page.  I just thought you'd like to
know a little more about why I drew it.

Take care,
Ian McDonald