"It's not the guns, it's the people shooting the guns." Political Translation: "It's okay to restrict personal freedom, as long as the individual retains access to deadly weapons."
Don't decide too much about a person from a particular political affiliation, religion, racial demographic, ethnicity or gender if they react negatively when confronted with an opposing point-of-view. Rather, consider that it's people who embrace extremes, who have less logic and substance to rely on, who often compensate for this by resorting to abuse and anger.
I think it's human nature to take the people who are close for granted. To look for things off in the distance without seeing what is right next to you. To travel a thousand miles to visit a place, and yet, to have never explored your own city. To follow a writer or musician from far away, yet ignore an artist from your hometown. It's okay. Because someone else is often watching and listening.