Do people really buy this nonsense?
What stopped the Shooter? a Gun?
You better believe that some do. Then there is the cohort that doesn't really believe it, but peddles it in order to disarm those who would defy their will. That would be the government.
Unfortunately, many do.
In most conservative circles, even if people don't own guns and even if they've never fired a weapon, they know people personally who do — often lots of people who do. If you know people who are decent and responsible, and if you know they own guns, you're less likely to object to gun ownership even if you don't choose to own one.
That's not the case for people in parts of America where guns are severely regulated or in social circles where they are stigmatized.
“Jim, people are often afraid of what they do not understand. Why would you object to something you've never used and never even taken the time to learn about?”
I've found that phrase helpful in dealing with liberals because it is a sentence out of their playbook on other issues which have nothing to do with guns.
Here's another one.
“Julie, have you ever considered that one of the best protections for a woman against a physically superior man is a small handgun? Training doesn't care about gender, and it can be a great equalizer between a well-trained woman and the brute strength of a male aggressor.”
Believe it. Brought to us by the same exact folks who see no problem whatsoever with tens of millions entering our country illegally. In fact the same people who'll tell you open violent borders are good for America while handing us the bill each month.