"From the tone of your questions, it sounds like you're not really a "gun person." Do I have that right? That's okay. If you want to become better informed about this topic that's wondeful. I wish more people would get better informed -- it's mostly the ignorant people who want to curtail our bedrock American freedoms.
Joining the NRA is a great first step -- the dues are cheap and the benefits are good. They can hook you up with some hands-on training, if you want it."
You are right that I am not currently a gun person. I've always been against gun control, but never took much interest until recently.
Sounds good. If you're looking for a little training or a little more info, there are a lot of great places to go in your state. Packing.org and the NRA are great first steps. If you come to my state (Indiana) let me know -- we'll go out and plink a few soda cans!
(I think the "gun people" are often a whole lot of fun. If you go to a weekend gun show, or drop by your local shooting range some time, I think you'll enjoy the folks you meet.)