I'd be interested to know why you think most Americans own guns reelfast if not for protection? Not a lot of hand gun or assault rifle hunting, so why have one unless you are an avid target shooter?Maybe I'm wrong,but is target shooting really that popular?
i can only speak for myself and some very close relatives. i started target shooting with my dad at about age 8, i am 71. firearms of all types have passed through my hands over time. i also was an avid hunter of deer and elk along with a fanatical obsession with waterfowl hunting. (building barnagat bay sneak boxes, hand done decoys.......) i also shot competative skeet for decades, i have the ears to prove that. growing up in inner city Chicago, there was never much thought given to self defense.
virtually all of my adult friends hunt. some of them have impressive collections in lots of calibers to support their addiction. i can't think of one of them who ownes firearms for self defensive purposes.
absolutely, there are paranoid folks in all corners of this country, probably up your way as well, but i don't see that as a major thrust of ownership. speaking with LEOs is going to provide a very limited and slanted viewpoint as they deal with crazies all day long. but the question then becomes, does that represent the general population? i think not and it never has.
what has happened is the polarization of the population. the NRA, once they took on the role of industry lobbyist, has done gun owners a major disservice. their adamant approach, in spite of facts and plain common sense, turned me off decades ago. originally they were focused on gun safety and firearms training. my children all took part in those courses before they were 10 years old. but times changed and big bucks were to be made by backing the firearms industry. like any lobby, they control lots of money and have bought more pols then you can count. nothing new here save they have a very loud voice.
i am not much worried about the security aspect of ownership. having read the detail regarding the pack of trouble that would fall on my head if i actually shot someone, i am not inclined to pull the trigger. 'stand your ground' laws in several states have led to the apparent killing of young, unarmed, kids by over hyped adults. all of this does great harm to society in general and the psyche of the nation.
starting someplace is imperative but i am not confident it will happen despite 20 5-7 year olds who lie stone cold dead.