What a great question, and it took me a while to think about it.
Lemme first give you a little background.
I was born and raised in Germany, not on base, not as a son to a (rather Anti and hippyish) GI, but rather to an American (hippyish and Anti) expat. So "on the economy" as you would say. I learned German before I learned English and to this day I am one of the dreaded "Hyphens." (Sorry, you may not like it, but all my formative years and my entire youth has been spent somewhere else you don't just shrug something like that off like a cheap coat.) On top of that I was raised very solidly on the left side of the fence in terms of politics. This puts me on the far left fringe of American politics. I went to a very prestigious school learning the humanities with a mild smattering of science and a lot of language.
Now, how has this changed? Not entirely too much, to be honest. I am still on the far left when it comes to US politics, still believe anti-intellectualism and a fear of science as well as religious zealotry is a great problem here and yet somehow still manage to be a rather vigilant, if not rabid supporter of the second amendment. How does this happen? Well, lemme go on.
When we moved here to the US (I was eighteen, then) and took a massive economical hit I left the house and joined the US Air force. While weapons training wasn't very prevalent (read: very, very basic) the notion of deadly force, force defense (and with that personal defense) was never a strange one to me. After all, what we did was "kill people and break their <stuff>" as we chanted endlessly during most training. seeing as I worked in Air Mobility Command it was not exactly rare for me to walk aboard an airplane full of Grun- Marines, Soldiers or bombs, go about my business and launch it to its ultimate destiny, which was to well ... kill people and break their <stuff>.
I did this for about four years and left the Air Force because I wanted a different job. Now, those familiar with the Air Force probably know that an AFSC (or MOS, as the Army puts it) change is nigh impossible, I told my Chief I'd gladly sign another contract the moment they crosstrain me. They didn't, ergo, I didn't.
I spent a few years in College, drifting around majors and met this Jewish farmer's daughter and we somehow got married. she encouraged me to get my degree and become an Officer, seeing as (this is how she put it) "you hate being a civilian, you need to get your ass back in or you're just gonna rot. And I don't marry losers who rot."
That sent a message home. In any case, I looked into the program that would be the most assured source of comissioning. The Air Force has ridiculous requirements, which my GPS simply didn't support, the Navy while very nice had left a bitter taste in my mouth, as I was in the Navy Reserve at the time and was pretty much going to drill once a month to do some random paperwork for lack of a real mission ... and the Army was the only one left over.
I remember quite clearly walking into the office, talking to a Green Beret Captain about my options, when after he reviewed my files looked at me and said "Here's a uniform. Class is in three hours and in three years you'll be commissioned. are you in on this?"
I was. I commissioned about a year ago and am a Signal Officer for a MedEvac Battalion in the National Guard.
So it's safe to say that the notion of deadly force as a protective measure has never really been far from me. This wasn't really a big deal though, because it didn't really affect me. I had (and still have) a sturdy bseball bat that serves me quite well in small apartments, but a few years back in the sleepy college town I live in there were two murders. One was three doors down about, the other smackdab on my way to school and four doors down from a house me and the wife regularly went to for drunken debauchery. She said she wanted a self defense weapon. I wasn't particularly opposed and we walked down the street to buy a Mossberg 500, then walked back up the street home with it slung over our shoulder. And frankly while being odd (being from Germany and all) it felt good, as in right, this is something that does make perfect sense.
Two shooting sessions later I was sold on the loud boom and smell of campfire and my collection started there. Couple that with the notion that all people's revolutions require a good set of civilian arms and you have the recipe for a far left gunnie, hyphen and import American. These days I spend most of my persuasive energy being an Officer or in academic and "dirty liberal leftie" circles talking guns, freedoms, people's arms, people's duties (to include being armed) and plinking at organic cafes. Or I am actually plinking and taking Handgun classes.
Have I joined the NRA? No. The reason should be obvious. But I believe it would be blind to ignore the contribution gun owners much like myself are making.
Whew, what a monologue. Time for a break, no?