Let’s talk about guns. But be forewarned: I’m no expert. My lifetime exposure to guns includes: playing with cap guns in the 1950s; acting in the musical “Annie Get Your Gun” in high school; and being encouraged to join Bowdoin’s rifle team after I apparently demonstrated proficiency during, as I recall, an ROTC class.

My family never owned a gun; I’ve never owned a gun; and my two sons have never owned guns. Neither have my two stepsons. I’ve hunted for golf balls and car keys, but never for deer or rabbits. Call me un-American, but I’d rather teach a young boy how to read a book or hit a baseball or be nice to girls than to shoot a gun. But I do have some thoughts on the subject or, more accurately, some questions. Here goes …

Why are Americans so obsessed with owning guns? The statistics don’t lie. The U.S. leads the world in gun ownership per capita. A 2007 survey revealed that there are 112 guns in the U.S. for every 100 Americans, far outdistancing the next four countries (Serbia, Yemen, Cypress and Saudi Arabia).

In 2015, there were over 12,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S, compared with, say, fewer than 100 in Great Britain. Why haven’t all the “good guys with guns” protected us from all those “bad guys with guns?” Is more guns the answer?

Why are citizens in “red states” more likely to own guns than citizens in “blue states.” Nine of the top ten gun-owning states per capita are “red,” and the tenth (Virginia) is a swing state. A corollary question: Why does the NRA allocate a disproportionate share of its campaign contributions to Republican politicians? Why won’t guns be allowed inside the arena at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July? Are delegates being deprived of their Constitutional and Godgiven rights to carry guns wherever and whenever?

Why are white Christian evangelicals more likely to own guns — 57 percent of them live in households which have guns — than people of other religions or, for that matter, no religion? Did the Prince of Peace pack a pistol? Perhaps the Sermon on the Mount gives a clue. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Why is it possible to buy a gun if you’re on the Terrorist Watch List? Why is it harder for the average American citizen to buy, say, Lipitor or Advair than to purchase an assault rifle? Why must people pass a test to get a driver’s license but not to purchase a Glock pistol?

A CBS/New York Times poll (October, 2015) found that 92 percent of Americans — including 87 percent of Republicans — favor background checks for all gun buyers? Why is Congress is so reluctant to act given the national mood?

I believe that most Americans — including myself — advocate a common sense approach to gun ownership and use. I don’t think we should “take away” guns from hunters. I do wonder if having a gun in the house really makes one “safer,” especially given the accidental killings of toddlers and kids every year I also believe — again I’m probably in the majority — that no law or regulation can prevent all future violence. Moreover, the round-the-clock media publicity following every mass killing no doubt does more to encourage than to discourage similar horrific events in the future.

Yes, I have a lot of questions about today’s gun culture in America And a lot of sadness.

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David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary or suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.