I think they fear both nearly equally. I think the prolific nature of gun ownership is the primary issue they worry about, and how easily guns find their way into the wrong hands. No doubt, there are those who will illogically fear the gun. But, when you actually take the time to engage most of these people in discussion you'll realize that they are very aware that the gun is an inert and inanimate mechanism. They can actually grasp that thought if the issue approached properly. I think what they generally fear is the proliferation of ownership. They have a reasonable idea of how many differing types of people can simply obtain guns. They know all of these people will have differing demeanors. But, of all these things, what they know and believe with certainty is that some people will responsibly own and manage their guns, and some won't. It's the latter group they fear nearly as much as the criminal, and knowing we humans are fallible, I'm not qualified to say that this isn't an unrealistic fear.
Some of the comments here could easily be described as hardliner pro-gun rhetoric. This rhetoric, along with uneducated comments regarding the functions of our Constitution are not the way to approach or impress upon those who are trying to understand why we choose to own and enjoy our guns. They need to know we are a better reasoned group that is willing to discuss the issue rather than than begin a tirade of tired mantras and soapbox our position without listening to their concerns. When someone is attempting to win me over to a school of thought, I don't want to hear a bunch of rhetoric. I want to hear why that individual feels the way they do, and I want to hear it in their own words.
