Our real problem is that people really believe that crap. Real gun owners are becoming a minority. And once the numbers get high enough with the non gun owners we are doomed. This country will go the way of the British.
I agree. Almost everybody that knows me knows I love the outdoors and the shooting sports. It amazes me how many will start talking to me about guns and lapse into something about "handguns" or "assault rifles". Like our minister, who is a wonderful minister and great friend, agreeing with my enthusiasm for hunting and then saying "but handguns are too easy to conceal". When I explained that I hunt with handguns, it was a big surprise that there was even a legitimate civilian use (in his view) for a handgun. Gun ownership is not just all about hunting anyway. I don't know how many friends we have that simply do not understand the facts about firearms and firearms ownership. Many have no interest in it, they don't know the positive safety statistics associated with responsible gun ownership, and they really don't care. Gun control, no matter how contrived, misled, or misrepresented - sounds AOK to them when they vote. And their numbers grow as "our" numbers diminish.
Another thing is the laziness, ambivalence, and apathy of many gun owners. They do not actively promote or protect gun ownership or the shooting sports. As far as I am concerned a lot are just too cheap and too lazy to support the cause and offer a lot of BS excuses for not doing so.
I also regret that young people seem to have a really diminished interest in hunting, shooting, and the outdoors. When I first went hunting over 50 years ago, I couldn't sleep for weeks with the anticipation of going. I'm almost 63 now and I still love it just as much. Last year a bunch of fellow shooters and I worked as instructors for the local FFA kids to have a free day of sporting clays. The first time we did it, none of the kids showed up. The second time 3 showed up. Young people don't have mentors anymore and they seem to prefer video games, etc.
From what I understand, hunting license sales dropped from someting like 16 million to 11 million in the past few years. (I may be off on those numbers, but that's the best I can remember.)
Our culture SADLY is changing and now the downhill slide is gaining more momentum due to the social and political environment. Very sad.