Reply #67: Put simply, I think it's an urban versus rural thing.

[TheWraith]

Most Dems tend to live in urban or suburban environments where there's no need for a gun most of the time, and little to no hunting. Therefore, they don't see a positive side of gun ownership, and tend to fall into the habit of viewing guns both as a negative, and as something those uncouth rural conservatives do.

Out here in the boonies where I live, almost everybody has guns, including most of the Dems I know. Why? Because they're useful tools when you've got wild animals running around your back yard. Because some people like to hunt. Because living around here I can't guarantee a black bear isn't going to show up and decide he wants into my house. And because if you call 911 and tell them you urgently need help, you can be assured of having a response some time within 15 or 20 minutes, assuming you didn't call in the middle of the night, or when they're busy doing something else.

Besides, because of that divide, most people who aren't accustomed to guns never get to realize that shooting a gun can be fun, even if you never shoot it at anything other than clay targets and cinderblocks.