I received this in a local newsletter from my CHL instructor. I'm not sure I agree with it being over money more than ideology, but the point is well made:



The question is, "Are guns bad, or are guns good?"
The problem is, there is no correct answer to the question.
Guns are inanimate objects and can, therefore, can be neither bad nor good. However, people on both sides of the argument refuse to accept that premise. Both sides are driven by their own ideologies, requiring them to give human qualities to inanimate objects that, without human help, can neither kill nor protect.
Compare the argument to one where those involved are trying to determine whether Steak Knives are good or bad. Wake up! They're like guns, they're neither.
What we wind up with is one side that preaches that all individuals should have unfettered access to Steak Knives. You know them as the folks on the 10:00 o'clock news, carrying signs that read, "When Steak Knives are Outlawed, Only Outlaws ..."
The other side usually takes an incremental approach. They will chip away at the "Right to Keep and Bear Steak Knives," by demanding that we limit access to the utensils to only those individuals who have undergone background checks. Further, they try to convince us they can make our lives safer by limiting access to only dull knives. Other restrictions can include not allowing possession of Steak Knives in excess of 3" in length, and, then, only after an individual has satisfied the State that he has a true need to possess one.
The only thing certain is that both sides are lying to you. Neither side is trying to do anything except line their pockets with membership dues.
The Steak Knives Without Limits gang always (intentionally) overlooks the fact that some folks just shouldn't have access to Steak Knives. Who? My schizophrenic neighbor, for one, and the felon, who lives next door to him, for another.
On the other hand, the Steak Knife Control crowd conveniently fails to bring up that Steak Knives may be used to cut steaks into bite-sized pieces, socially acceptable for consumption in a restaurant. They claim that limiting access is necessary for the safety of the children, and that all Steak Knives have dull edges. Also, in their effort to blame an inanimate object for a bad act, they will intentionally overlook the fact that some real, live people are inherently evil, and that no amount of Steak Knife Control will change that.
It sounds a little silly, doesn't it. That's because it is. So, why do we have the arguments? Follow the money. Whether it's the Brady Campaign or the NRA, folks on both sides of the argument are making tons of money, convincing you send them your dues and contributions, to be used to protect you. They create the illusion of a problem, and then, for a price, they offer to save you from that problem.