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Most of my friends and family are anti-gun. This is what I posted on FB today:

I'm going to lift my personal ban on FB political speech for a day with this statement: There is a difference between fighting gun culture and fighting gun violence, and until the American left stops using guns as a proxy in their culture wars, nothing will be done.
It seems that those on the left envision American gun culture as a small, isolated group of wingnuts. And they're baffled when this seemingly small group defeats their efforts repeatedly. They chalk this up to the 'power of the NRA', and move on to trying the same thing over and over again. But American gun culture is not small. Its as American as apple pie. You're not trying to remove a mole, you're cutting at the toughest sinews of American culture with a butter knife. Shouting 'ban guns' is like shouting 'ban the Ford Mustang'. And every time you do it, more money flows into the coffers of the pro-gun lobby. You are the perfect foil. You are the dragon that they use to rally their troops. The NRA doesn't hate the American left. They love you.

So as a thought experiment, what would you do if you knew that the existing background check system would never be expanded, and 'assault weapons' will never be banned? Is your answer, 'I'd throw my hands up in despair, take my marbles and go home'? I doubt it. Regardless of your viewpoint, I think everyone knows that gun violence can be reduced. And it can be reduced without onerous new laws and expansions of Federal power. But it requires getting beyond slogans, being able to have honest conversations about HIPPA, and the rights of both parties in domestic abuse situations, and race, and economic disparities. When we can be honest enough with ourselves as a people to recognize that gang members in south chicago killing one another is not the same problem as a schizophrenic 20 something shooting up a school, we will finally make progress.