I agree. Sometimes words can’t fully express what we mean because we also rely on subtle cues from facial expressions and body language, and not everyone is a good writer. I’ve realized that my partner and I sometimes misunderstand each other, but things become clearer when we meet in person.

I’m not American, so I may be missing some of the historical and cultural context. Still, I worry that the broad availability of firearms, and the political influence of the gun industry, can make violence more lethal and encourage a culture of fear and self-protection. The right to own firearms has historical and constitutional roots, but I believe access should be carefully regulated and that owning a gun should be the exception, not the norm.