Politicians and the media have given the non-gun owning public the wrong impression about gun culture in the U.S.

This is very poor trigger discipline!

It's true. Guns are a big deal in the United States. Loads of people have them (41% of all American households, at last count), and loads of money is made from their manufacture and sale. And there is, indeed, a "gun culture" that exists in this country, especially in rural areas and in the south. But, contrary to popular belief among the uninformed, this gun culture is far from a hotbed of violence.

I am a gun owner and enthusiast, and I work in a gun store in North Carolina. (That's in the widely ridiculed and reviled American south, for all of my foreign friends.) Here are some things I wish more people comprehended about American gun culture.

The "gun-toting redneck" stereotype is total BS.

Ask someone uninitiated in the ways of American gun culture what a gun owner looks like, and you'll probably get an answer along these lines: White, male, middle aged, republican, fundamentalist Christian. If the person is particularly anti-gun, they might throw in a few more adjectives for fun: stupid, uneducated, redneck, racist.

This stereotype is total BS.

In the store where I work, I am part of a diverse staff that includes people from multiple races, religions (and lack thereof), and sexual orientations. Our customers also run the gamut of possible ethnicities, nationalities, belief systems, political opinions, genders, and walks of life. The vast majority of our customers strike me as intelligent and educated individuals. Not like this guy.

At least he's practicing proper trigger safety.

Would it surprise you to know that on a recent Friday, I sold guns and/or ammunition to two gay couples, an elderly Korean man, a single mother, a transgendered person, and a young man with cerebral palsy? And this is in the south, remember. I can only imagine that in more metropolitan areas the clientele is even more diverse. The spirit of unity in American gun culture transcends these types of superficial differences. It is not an uncommon occurrence in my store to see strangers from completely different walks of life discussing the relative merits of using a revolver as your concealed carry weapon. I see the same thing when I go to the shooting range. Black and white, gay and straight, Christian and Muslim and atheist, their mutual interest in guns and self-protection brings them together to admire each other's pistols and criticize each other's shooting technique.

The most common reasons for buying a gun

We sell all types of guns in the store where I work. Well--all the legal types, anyway. From AR-15s to tiny competition revolvers and everything in between. But what are the most common reasons people come into the shop to buy a firearm?

The most popular motivation is probably home protection and self defense. These folks are following a very natural, universal urge to keep themselves--and those they love--safe from potential danger. They are pragmatists at heart. They know that bad people are out there, and they figure it pays to be prepared in case you ever encounter one. A common gun owner joke is: "Why do I carry a gun? Because a cop is too heavy." In other words, it would be foolish to risk your life on the assumption that law enforcement will be able to reach you on time in a true emergency. Another adage to express the same truth is "When seconds count, the cops are minutes away."

Another common reason people have for purchasing a gun is that they enjoy gun sports. Whether it's hunting, competition shooting, or gun project builds, there are a lot of hobbyists, hunters, and marksmen out there for whom guns are a way to put food on the table, let off steam, or just enjoy quality time with friends and family. There are also collectors--people who are fascinated with the history and craftsmanship of firearms.

Probably the third most popular reason why people come into my store is to protect themselves from wildlife. In our area, there are a lot of farmers, as well as a robust outdoors culture. So we have a lot of folks who want to buy guns to keep themselves, their children, and their pets safe from potentially dangerous wild animals. Some keep a shotgun by the door in their cabin in case a pack of coyotes attacks their livestock. Others want to carry a heavy-caliber revolver when they hike in the woods, in case they meet an angry bear. And some people who live up in the rockiest part of the highlands are worried about encountering a rattlesnake.

Gun owners tend to be highly competent and safe with their weapons.

In gun culture, we do not do this. The gun is always loaded, even when we KNOW the gun is not loaded.

Having spent so much time around gun owners and second amendment enthusiasts, I am convinced that the majority of them are highly informed on gun safety and highly competent with their weapons. I would even venture to guess that the average concealed carry permit holder has more comprehensive gun training than the average police officer.

Why do I say this? Because most of them consider it a duty to stay in practice with their weapons. American gun culture drills this philosophy into people: If you are going to own or carry a gun, it is incumbent upon you to know your weapon and how to use it. Just buying a gun and a box of ammo is not enough to enable you to defend yourself from criminals.

Taking a gun safety class is a good start (and it's required by law in my state if you want to concealed carry), but it's still not enough, and gun owners know this. They go to the shooting range regularly. They stay abreast of industry news. They take extra courses on gun safety and tactical defense, beyond what is required by the state, and they always make sure their weapons are clean and in tip-top shape. These are the kind of people you definitely want around if, heaven forbid, you are caught in an active shooter situation and no cops are available.

Buying a Gun is Not as Easy as the Media Makes it Sound.

To hear the media tell it, buying a gun in the U.S. is as easy as going to down to the corner store for a coke. Or, in the words of President Obama, "We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book."

Um, no.

Different states have different laws on the books to deal with gun purchases. Some states (like Texas) have fairly lax laws, while others (like California) have laws that look draconian by comparison. But there is a federal background check requirement in place, which any person attempting to purchase a firearm in any state in the U.S. must pass. In order to even get the background check done, you must be 21 years of age (for a pistol purchase) or 18 (to purchase a long gun). So that rules out teenagers below the age of majority from legally buying guns at all. The only exceptions to this background check are where the state already has its own background check system in place, which must be equally or more strenuous than the federal background check. For instance, in my state (which is politically pro-gun), a person who wishes to purchase a pistol must either be a concealed carry permit holder (which requires a criminal and mental health background check) or they must obtain a pistol purchase permit from their county sheriff (which also requires a criminal and mental health background check).

And licensed gun dealers are not in the business of fudging the rules. For one thing, if they are caught doing so (and they will be caught), they will lose their FFL license, pay hefty fines, and more than likely end up in jail. But even more importantly, gun dealers don't want to contribute to criminal activity anymore than the average, law-abiding citizen does. They do not take delight in gun violence or bloodshed. They are in business to sell guns to responsible adults. At my store (and I believe most gun dealers follow a similar policy), we even go a step beyond the state requirements. We practice our right to refuse gun sales to anyone who even strikes us as suspicious or who we feel might have nefarious intent.

Chances are, you are surrounded by people with guns.

A certain, large-but-shrinking percentage of the population are what we in the gun industry call "hoplophobes". These are people with an irrational fear of firearms, who appear to ascribe mal-intent to the gun itself, regardless of the intentions of its user.

Hoplophobes and other anti-gun people might be horrified to discover that they are probably surrounded by guns everywhere they go. Every state in the United States now allows concealed carry, though states vary widely as to the requirements necessary to obtain a permit. Chances are, several people in your neighborhood have guns in their home. It's likely that someone is peacefully carrying in line with you at the grocery store or at the next table in the coffee shop.

In my state, where it is comparatively easy to satisfy the permit requirements, there is one concealed carry permit holder for every 16 non-permit holders. And that doesn't even account for open carriers (it is legal to open carry without a permit in my state) and folks who keep their guns at home. This fact might make hoplophobes cower in fear, but it's a completely unreasonable thing to be afraid of. A recent study by the Crime Prevention Research Center shows that concealed carry permit holders are one of the demographics least likely to commit a crime in the United States--with even fewer convictions than police officers.

The AR-15: What's the appeal?

There's a lot of media hype about AR weapons; all negative. Because of this, many misinformed Americans believe some fantastically false things about these weapons. Like that they are machine guns or "military grade assault rifles" (they're not). Or that they are fully automatic (they're not). Or that they are capable of shooting something crazy like 500 rounds per minute (they're not). Or that they are more powerful than other types of rifle (they're not; in fact, most ARs are chambered for a round that is lower powered than big game hunting rifles.)

So why is the AR-15 the most popular rifle on the market? What do gun enthusiasts love so much about them? Well, for one thing, they're fun to shoot. And for another, parts and accessories for them are widely available and affordable. But here's the really cool thing about AR-15s. They are great project guns. They're like old Cadillacs or electric train sets: perfect for tinkering. You can build one from scratch (you have to pass a background check to purchase the base component, however), and you can add all kinds of gizmos to it, like scopes and lasers and pistol grips and quad rails and collapsible stocks. Some of my customers spend years playing around with their AR's configuration, changing around components until they get it just right, and thoroughly enjoying the process.

None of these gizmos actually make the rifle more dangerous; but for the average, misinformed American, they appear more dangerous (so black and tactical!) than a sensible-looking, wood-stock hunting rifle. Politicians and media people use this fact to their advantage when pushing for more gun control legislation. They want the public to believe that black, polymer framed rifles with pistol grips and tactical accessories are more deadly than other types of guns, even though they're not. Several pieces of state legislation and one since-repealed federal law have even banned rifles that have these gizmos on them, while leaving functionally identical guns alone--just because they look less "scary"!

By and large, American gun owners are good people.

The customers who shop in my store are regular, decent folks. Of course, there's no store of any kind in the world that never had an asshole customer, but they are the exception. For the most part, the gun owners I've had the privilege of meeting are kind, respectful, tolerant people who emphasize peace over violence and who sometimes bring me doughnuts at work. They are doctors, firemen, military veterans, teachers, sanitation workers, paramedics, entrepreneurs, waiters, pilots, and professional dog walkers. They raise families. They volunteer in their communities. They try to get along with others. And they would risk their lives to save strangers in a criminal or terrorist attack.

I wish more people would take the time to learn about guns or get to know some gun enthusiasts. If you're interested, I guarantee you that if you go down to your local gun store or shooting range, you will find a friendly gun totin' American eager to help.

---

Thank you for reading!

Hi! My name is Leslie Starr O'Hara, but I go by Starr. I live in the mountains of North Carolina and I write fiction, satire, humor, and the odd anarchist think piece here on Steemit. Follow me if you're interested in stuff about sci-fi, writing, homeschooling, productivity, or just stuff that will make you laugh your britches off.

Me at work.

Buy me ammo!