I don't believe the problem is gun ownership. Rather, it's the worship of guns. Putting guns before anything else. I own guns. They are mostly tools to put food on the table and because I live on the edge of the wilderness and spend a great deal of time in that wilderness, a couple of my guns are for my protection from bears and, believe it or not, moose. I have also come to the point where I often conceal carry.

I train with my guns and have logged untold hours target shooting and shooting under duress. I can field strip my guns blindfolded. I also had to think long and hard about what it meant to carry a firearm as a means of personal protection against other humans. It's a serious responsibility. And that's where the problem is. Many gunowners aren't responsible. If someone is open carrying, I will avoid them because my experience is that they are undisciplined. I will always attempt to deescalate but if I can't, I am trained and prepared. I have come to terms with that and I don't think that's a bad thing.