Honestly, it depends on what you mean by "gun control."

At heart, it hinges on the deeply held American belief in independence from the State and the ability to protect oneself in the absence of the State.

America's big. Really big. Many of our politically subdivided states are far larger than any of the countries in the EU or Britain. That means that, for the most part, outside of the deeply urban areas the first line of defense for any problem, from stubbing your toe to your city burning down, is your neighbors and yourself. The State will arrive far after the situation has arisen.

The gun is a tool. It's also a pastime for many Americans. Tens of millions of guns are owned without seeing the light of day except on a range, a friendly backyard, or a good polishing. None of them are fired in anger. Tens of millions of Americans own guns and enjoy guns without shooting one another.

Advocates for gun control insinuate the position that those good, just, law-abiding people can't be trusted with a tool that they enjoy using and owning, not because they demonstrated an unworthiness to do so but because an increasingly rare event might occur involving that gun. Crime is down. Violent crime is down. Gun crime is down. And all with what people who advocate for gun control suggest is an aggressive dearth of State control of these people.

We get offended by that sort of thing. We don't like it. We prefer things that will actually make life better or solve problems. We're funny that way.