First, all guns are not used for killing people. Some are used for hunting and target shooting. Many people who want to own guns do not want them for the purpose of shooting people. The idea that everyone who has a gun plans to kill someone is positively ridiculous. It is a serious mistake to equate a hunting rifle with a handgun. Used responsibly, guns should not be feared. They should be respected and treated with a definite sense of their power. Unfortunately, there are lots of gun owners who do not treat their weapons with proper respect, which results in my father having to pick up a woman whose chest has been perforated by a shotgun which was left chambered, cocked, safety off, ready to fire, and unattended. Also unfortunately, there is a criminal element which does use guns for killing people. Thus, many people feel the need to have a gun for protection from others with guns. So, yes, there are many Americans who want to have guns because there are people on whom words are not effective.