Yep I have mixed feelings about this too.
My father used to own a rifle and go out hunting with his older brother (who still hunts today). When he wasn't hunting he would on the occasion shoot at targets he'd set up.
Recently my father got to know my sister's father-in law a whole lot better after discovering that the man has a collection of guns. Said sister's father-in-law is also an avid supporter of the Shooters Party.
The point here is that I can see and understand some of the attraction and passion drawn towards guns, the same way that I like to indulge in my nerdy past-time by swinging my short-sword about (painfully bought and carried around Europe and brought to Australia with an interesting story to tell).
The problem I have with guns is that it relies on 1. the intelligence and wisdom of the individual, and 2. their capacity to cause destruction on a scale that my sword could never hope to match
I am not sure that it would make our society any safer to have guns about. I do like that there are rules and regs to do with gun ownership, but I have scant knowledge in the specifics of those rules and regs to properly assess the pros and cons.
