At a time in our history when fake news and political correctness seem to dominate our daily lives, and at a time when there seems to be a lack of concern for accepting responsibility for our actions, being reliable or showing respect for our fellow man, perhaps we need to properly identify just who America’s gun owners are these days.

There seems to be a constant thread of news about “gun violence.” And yet, common sense tells us that no firearm ever committed an act of violence — it is, instead, the person behind the firearm. That same person, if a firearm were not available to them, would no doubt find some other means of committing a violent act, be it with a knife, baseball bat or automobile. It is the person, not the tool that is the problem.

We are constantly being told in the advertisements for weight reduction, that being overweight “is not your fault!” As if a decision to overeat and never do any exercise of any kind is not your decision? Blame seems to all-too-often be placed elsewhere, and certainly not on the person doing the act themselves.

“So, how does this all relate to today’s gun owners?” you ask. Simply put, the majority of today’s gun owners are responsible and respectful. They are responsible in the way that they handle firearms and are most often willing to share their knowledge of firearms with others, including those who have never had the opportunity to fire a gun of any kind. Often, someone who has never handled a gun before, but has the chance to do so with a responsible gun owner, finds shooting such a gun to be a very enjoyable experience. Whether it is at the local range or skeet or trap club, never-before shooters can find an experienced gun owner who can safely and properly introduce them to the shooting sports. More often than not, a new shooter walks away with a smile on their face, a clearer understanding of the joy of shooting and a desire to purchase a gun and begin their own training.

Today’s gun owners are respectful of others and of the way that firearms should be handled, always with safety first and foremost. One of the premier groups teaching safe firearms handling today is the National Rifle Association’s YHEC (Youth Hunter Education Challenge). Adult instructors introduce and coach youths in the safe and proper handling of .22 caliber rifles, shotguns and archery equipment. Over time, these new gun owners go on to introduce and teach others in the responsible use of firearms.

Today, with over 100-million plus gun owners all across America, there still remains a lack of proper understanding of just who gun owners are. They come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, work backgrounds and have interests as varied as they are. What should you picture when you try to imagine what a gun owner looks like?

Picture if you will, a man or woman, who is into the shotgun sports, be it skeet, trap or perhaps sporting clays. They probably have an over/under shotgun, perhaps with some fancy engraving on the receiver and the gun is stocked with a dark walnut wood with checkering. Or perhaps, they shoot a semi-automatic shotgun with a carbon-fiber stock. Either way, they are enjoying a day outdoors as they move from station to station shooting at clay targets, spending the day with fellow shooters with whom they have been friends for years. They always handle their shotguns in a safe manner and are eager to help one another become better shooters or to introduce a new person to the sport.

Or perhaps you can imagine two fellow gun owners at a long range facility. Their rifles are high-caliber, bolt-action guns with high powered scopes for shooting at long ranges. Some of these rifles are custom, hand-made to fine-tune the accuracy when shooting at distances out to 1,000 yards. The two men behind these rifles no doubt load their own shells in an effort to make their shooting more accurate than most factory ammunition can. They are meticulous in their attention to details, always striving for greater accuracy. They too are constantly aware of firearms safety and the responsibility they have in the proper handling of firearms.

Unfortunately, what we hear about most often these days are those who obtained their weapon illegally, have no respect for other’s property or human life itself or have no sense of responsibility for their actions. They are few in numbers compared to the millions of responsible gun owners today!