Hey.
I grew up in a home that always had long-guns strewn everywhere and had walls packed with various grisly hunting trophies, and there were handguns of various types really scattered carelessly: one stuck under my dad's matress, one in his truck, one in his office, and so on. However, I was also a bit of a changeling. Rather than following my father's way of thinking, I ended up adopting more modern notions. I was a child of the Information Age moreso than my own father.
If "gun rights" advocates are to be believed, there are liberals everywhere crying for guns to be banned or something. I am still trying to find one, so let me know if you see any.
The point is, we have some of the most permissive laws in the world, regarding gun ownership, and that really is not something that is especially alarming to me. I do like ideas like mental health screening and waiting periods, and perhaps things like gun shows should have more oversight. In some countries, you have to prove that you have sound reasons for buying certain weapons, which sounds interesting. Nevertheless, i am not particularly hostile toward guns.
Every time the topic of gun control comes up, it seems like the most vocal participants are outgoing "gun rights" activists, and they really ruin the discussion. They will cite several reasons why they don't agree with banning guns, yet I rarely see anyone making an argument for banning guns. The discussions end up being ludicrous.
It seems like the NRA only really exists these days to advocate laws that make it legal to shoot unarmed children and postal workers, and what some of the activists are demanding sounds ridiculous. It is more like they are trying to force guns upon you than anything. The right-wing has apparently gone freaking bonkers.
Yet I don't really have any serious concerns about guns. I am very used to them, and I really think that sensible regulation is just easier to get people to agree with, to be politically pragmatic for a moment.
Therefore, I am a fairly well-entrenched moderate on this issue, and I wonder if anyone else sees the sensibility of the "third way" on this issue.
