Uhmm yeah, i can see that. But to me the whole topic of "more gun, less gun" is weird, since to me the obvious answer would be "..uh. Simple. Less guns. Why that much arguing about it?"
The "why" was in your culture.
"Because we have to defend ourselves."
To me, when a civil HAVE to defend himself, it means the government fails in his simpler task. Society.
So i would immediately point the finger to the government and say "You, dumb *******, sitting on your boring chair, do your job!!"
It would not come in my mind "You, government, give me more weapons!" because that's not what i would ask to my defender, actually.
This, when i say i had an hard time (in these years) to undestand why you were arguing so much on something that was simple to me.
And the answer is:
Because i'm not American.
(I find interesting to understand other countries, when i can. If someone share this feeling, you can understand a little of mine. Otherwise, have a good baked apple and good day. o/)