But isn't gun regulation a slippery slope to regulating our other freedoms? Again, no. We're talking about reasonable regulations. Nowhere else do people argue for unfettered rights without responsibility. Why should guns, which kill more children every year than the highly regulated automotive industry, be any different?

The frustrating thing is that there is this radicalized minority led by people with money and influence. So, theirs is the voice that is heard in the media and in the government.

But how has this minority garnered such radicalized support? How are they able to drown out the voices of reasonable gun owners? Fear. It's fear. When you can convince people that their fundamental way of life, that the very fabric of the country they live in and love is under imminent threat, people will overlook a lot, they will do a lot that they wouldn't otherwise do, as evidenced by the insurrection on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021.

The misinformation these conspiracy theories propagate feels so real and true, that people will tell you, "I'm not afraid! I'm prepared. I'm prepared to fight." At that point, you know that they're so entangled in this web of misinformation that to help them untangle is so very difficult, even when you present overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and point out that fewer regulations don't keep you free, they kill.

Now, the hope I have in all of this is knowing that there are a lot of responsible gun owners out there. Please do your research. Look at studies from a variety of different sources and speak up. Speak up for common sense. Speak up and save lives.