Rights, Responsibilities, and Growing-up In the past few years, as gun ownership came under ever-increasing attack, I came to realize that a firearm, and the right to own it, means a lot more than sport, or food, or tradition. More than utility or hobby or anything else, the right to own a firearm means freedom since it, more than any other right, guarantees that freedom can survive. Having others trust you is important in growing-up. There is no doubt that the responsibilities of owning and using a firearm bestow a trust on young men and women that surpass all other responsibiliti