I grapple with this question as a liberal. Not because I fear for my own safety, but because I fear for other's right to simply exist. Way to go America.

Anyone thinking about this, if you're close to a gun range, most offer safety training classes. And you can rent a gun. It's a good way to see if this is something you have the stomach for.

I recently took a gun safety course that was 6 hours long. It went over laws, and proper handling and storage. You practiced with a dummy gun, and then practice loading and unloading with blanks, all before live fire. I'm not sure what my answer is on the questions William raises, and I wouldn't say I'm 'comfortable' with guns, but it did address some of my anxiety.