Gun ownership isn't worthy of respect though, is it? If so, why? You have the right to buy and consume alcohol. You can consume so much of it that you kill yourself or beat your spouse or get in a car and kill somebody. Does alcoholism deserve "respect"? No. The fact that it's legal is enough. I can think the way you choose to exercise your rights is stupid whilst still believing you should have them.

I think gun ownership, by and large, is stupid. I think drinking alcohol to excess is stupid. And given that they are both potentially destructive, I don't think either of them should be promoted in a way that glamourises them. Why would you think pandering is necessary here?

Guns aren't great. They are occasionally useful. They're a valid hobby for some people. But they aren't "great." Surely the mythologising of guns is a large part of the reason why what should be easy has become so difficult.