The problem with the "gun" issue is that people who aren't in the culture get exposed to movies, crime reporting and crazy people and just don't have a perspective on many/most of the people who are into guns.

I grew up in NYC and moved to a country town when I was 10-11 years old. Guns were forbidden things that only cops and soldiers should have from our family's POV -- it was really awkward.

But the sporting, enthusiast and security drivers of demand for firearms is real and legitimate, and folks in that culture are equally confused about the point of view. My parent's neighbor had a bunch of guns -- probably like 20. Some were antique, he had shotguns for deer, trap/skeet, birds, rifles for hunting and target shooting and cheap ammo guns for plinking and practice. Shooting sports were family activities that were positive things. I was into baseball, my neighbor was into shooting and archery.

Unfortunately, the toxic politics around the issue encourage extreme positions and ultimate reduce real and nuanced issues into binary positions that encourage bad behavior. It doesn't help that extreme positions make money for different stakeholders.