> I do not particularly care about individual gun
> ownership in the US or elsewhere.
And yet:
> However ...
(everyone always has a big but #peeweeherman )
> ... many people I tried to avoid in my life were vocal supporters
> of gun ownership, but they were also raging right wingers, macho
> assholes, bigots, and competitive, aggressive, or spiteful
> individuals.
You can't seem to help yourself to equate the two, not three sentences later.
So you'll fogive me if I don't believe your opening statement. I think you care very much about it. You say you don't know whether your friends are gun owners or not, and I suspect that you have at least some who are but would never tell you because they fear your scorn. Your urge to judge, label, and discard those around you for the crime of being, in your view, macho seems all very ... macho, to me.
The OP asked: where is the left argument for gun rights? I am sympathetic. The government monopoly on just about anything is usually worth at least a second look, and firearms having a direct line to actual violence makes it even more interesting. The Underground Railroad no doubt "also" allowed many common criminals to escape prosecution; similarly the Bit Torrent technology no doubt "also" allows organized criminals and child pornographers to roam the Internet unfettered; Bootleggers, I'm sure, were "also" involved in all manner of behaviors Unbecoming Of An Officer. Will some "gay married" couples batter each other and perpetuate gender role stereotyping? Are some abortions undertaken irresponsibily? Do some welfare recipients cheat?
Can you not be both anti-macho and anti-anti-gun at the same time?
Apparently your answer is no.
/jordan