Using guns for protection when you live in a rural area without a responsive police force or using guns for hunting are not signs of an inappropriate obsession with having weapons.

But there is a line over which the desire to have guns is an inappropriate obsession?

And if so, is that obsession in itself a symptom of a mental illness?

If so in some cases, is it in all cases?

Why are people so adamant about having their guns if they don't have an inappropriate obsession?

Just ramblings on this topic. Just questions. But some of the posts by pro-gun people on DU are really disturbingly obsessive to me. Not all of them.

I am sympathetic to people who have guns for specific purposes other than paranoia and an obsessive desire to feel "safe" and empowered by the possession of guns.

To settle arguments, resorting to violence to the point of killing another for reasons of jealousy for example, or control of your spouse is a disease, The actual DISEASE factor is that many Peeps do not/cannot make the distinction. The ability to make the distinction between responsible use of a gun and use of a weapon that can end another person's life d/t lack of one's own self control during emotional surges is a responsibility that should be required in order to own sch a weapon--tho other weapons and even household items are used to end others' lives.
Those who resort to killing another obviously lack conflict resolution skills and other coping mechanisms. It is a mental and emotional maturity deficit. For some it is PTSD. We don't allow children to have assault weapons but there are many folks who are developmentally at a child's level. In fact many children are more creative about relationship problem solving than adults.
But simply allowing anyone over 21 to own assault weapons is not the answer.