George Skelton: America's gun violence problem won't be solved until firearm owners finally understand it must be

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — I've owned guns since age 13 and for many years was an avid hunter. I get the attraction and why they're enjoyed. But there's something I've never gotten.

I've never gotten why they're worshiped like pagan idols by so many.

Guns are so revered that many gun owners are obsessed with the fear that their weapons will be seized by the federal government, and they'll be left alone in the world. In their minds, the feds stay awake at night plotting the mass confiscation of — what's