No, I am not going to rip on the prevalence of guns in the country, or about how to solve the problem of so many nutty people going out in a blaze of glory. Instead I am going to offer an observation, from my single data point, me.
I have long enjoyed shooting. Got my start at 8 years old or so, I was a typical boy, so the usual “cops and robbers” and “cowboys and indians” were typical play time activities.
To this day, I still enjoy going to the range and relieving stress by putting holes in paper. Consequently, I have a safe full of firearms. Some I bought. Many I “inherited” from direct or distant family members. Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols, I have it covered.
I don’t hide this fact, but I don’t advertise it either. In fact, I do not look or act like a “gun nut” (probably because I am not a gun nut.) However, when someone who is steeped in the gun culture finds out I am an enthusiast, the conversation gets predictable.
Case in point: Our movers.