McAffee, a backer of libertarian-leaning former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul and an activist in this year's anti-big-government "Tea Party" protests, helped organize Paul backers who aligned at last June's Idaho State Republican Convention in Sandpoint with other foes of then-state GOP Chairman Kirk Sullivan. Sullivan was voted from office in favor of Norm Semanko.

"I'm unarmed, I'm an old man," Lutes, 51, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I'm trying to find out why he's taking pictures of my house. I said, 'Knock on my door, let me know what you want.' Then, I think he's reaching for his business card and he pulls out a concealed weapon and I think he's going to blow my head off."

Another example of the oppression and fear generated when you have an armed populace. I bet Mr. Lutes wasn't feeling particularly "free" or "liberated" while a lunatic was pointing a .357 magnum at him on his own property.

A country that allows unregulated guns is a country where fear and oppression is a one-man job.

While I am all for responsible, licensed gun ownership, this wacko sure proofs a point about the tea baggers and their ilk. And that is not a good thing.

The abuse of rights by some does not justify denouncing those rights.

I'm not denouncing the rights, only their abuse.

I'm denouncing the rights' or lack of rights, considering that a critical examination of the 2nd Amendment does NOT allow for private gun ownership while there is not a government-regulated civilian militia. Ever since the US got a standing army, the right to own and bear arms in the US has been null and void.

I wonder how many people are able to get a good nights sleep because they own a gun that's never been fired.

Probably less than the people who lay awake at night thinking about how their gun ended up killing their own child or spouse.