tigertoy

There is definitely truth in what you say, and I agree with a fair bit of it. It is a complicated issue. There is, however, another legitimate reason for people to have guns, and it is a reason that I consider very important even though it rarely enters the public discourse, and that is that owning and using guns is something that people like to do. The impulse to collect guns is no different than the impulse to collect anything else. Having a large collection or special items in the collection gives meaningful happiness to the collector. Someone you might know in the fandom, whose name I won't mention here, has an extensive collection of guns. He has shown it to me and it is fascinating, and his enthusiasm is clear. He keeps it in a secure room in his basement, and I suspect few people outside of his friends and close associates even know it exists. Further, shooting guns is fun, even if you're only shooting at targets. Different guns provide a different experience, so limiting what types of guns people may own limits how much fun they can have. Being able to enjoy an afternoon at the shooting range may not be your cup of tea, but that does not mean that it is not a meaningful joy for others. The freedom to pursue one's own joy to the maximum extent possible is truly one of the founding principles of our country. It is one of three basic rights founding the argument of the Declaration of Independence. It matters.