I don't think the language is what's creating fear, here. It's the guns. More specifically the casual, easy availability of guns and the numerous mass murders t

I don't think the language is what's creating fear, here. It's the guns. More specifically the casual, easy availability of guns and the numerous mass murders that happen annually with them. It's not like calling them "just guns" or whatever diminishes the fear. Or maybe it would diminish the fear--and I think that's a bit insidious to be honest. We (collectively) should fear a tool having as its only purpose to seriously injure or kill things, including (especially) people.