I have gun toting friends. It’s about identity probably more so than the love of guns. Many of these folks are isolated and feel irrelevant, so they pick a simple issue and use an US vs THEM view, to give them a sense of purpose. It’s just like football, pick a team and route for it and be a proud fan. The facts of lives of the other team are irrelevant. You just simple want to win and be proud of your team and wear their colors.

This is very American.