“My niece, their kid, once refused to visit because I have (HORRORS!) guns in the house.”
That’s not fear of guns, that’s disapproval enforced by shunning.
Josh Sugarmann & Amitai Etzioni among others recommend marginalizing gun owners by the use of shunning tactics.
Good point. However, that's only effective if one gives a rat's ass about whether or not to associate with the anti-gunner. I can assure you that I don't. In fact the absence of any in-laws and other relatives is something to be treasured rather than mourned. (You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your relatives)
My mother-in-law and father-in-law were an exception to this, but father-in-law smoked heavily and died of lung cancer over 30 years ago. My MIL died about 10 years ago.