Until this past Saturday, Aaron Burr held the championship title of “Vice President Who Has Shot the Most People.” It’s a lonely club, but current Veep Dick Cheney will keep him company from now on.

Oh, where to begin?

There are a couple of lessons we can learn from this incident. First of all, guns are very dangerous. Let’s all try to be a little less trigger-happy in future, and maybe we can avoid shooting our friends in the face.

Second, before you go hunting, make yourself some flashcards. You should be able to tell the difference between a lawyer and a quail before you lock and load. Perhaps this is a test that the government could add to the process of applying for hunting licenses.

Third, and this is only important for those of you who plan to run for political office, when trying to get people to contribute, don’t shoot them.

There are certain understood rules when it comes to courting political supporters. Take them on a hunting trip, fine. That’s nice. But, don’t shoot them. It’s sort of frowned upon in most political circles.

And, if you think there’s a possibility you might shoot someone accidentally, then take him or her paintballing. This is one arena in which it is okay and even encouraged to shoot people. In fact, Ed Board is pretty sure that’s the only time it’s accepted. You may also want to consider letting your friend win. Or, just don’t shoot him.

Let’s not be too hard on Cheney, though. Relatively speaking, it could have been worse. Keep in mind that Aaron Burr intentionally shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father as well as one of the authors of “The Federalist Papers.” Just goes to show you that when you help construct a government, you can get away with – well, murder.

Then again, maybe this is a good time to consider the rebirth of dueling as a means for solving civil disputes. Before you write this notion off, think about how much money we could all save on legal fees. No more of this “see you in court!” business.

From now on, it’s a slap of the glove and “see you in the forest behind the old shack at high noon!” If we raised the stakes, then people would think twice before wasting time on frivolous lawsuits.

But, then again, this could put a lot of lawyers on the streets with tin cans and cardboard signs. Now would not be a good time for Harry Whittington to lose his job, what with all the medical bills he will incur from being shot.

In all seriousness, we here at Ed Board would like to wish him a speedy recovery.