The "Left" isn't anti-gun - surely you've heard of the Weathermen? The Democrats have favored gun control, but not so much the real Left.
Keeping mind the label confusion and hazards of generalization, as I have said, "the left" isn't really the origin of anti-gun sentiment.
Ironically, it is "progressives" who are actually an expression of the old monarchy and elite (i.e. the ultimate "establishment" and therefore "the right") trying to re-establish their rule through pander to populist claims and causes... They have linked up with "the left" who in their quest for stateless communism are swayed by this pandering as an intermediate step (socialism) to their end, but impossible, goal.
... But before we get excited about the pro-gun "left", the trouble is that their core ideologies are internally inconsistent and as soon as they are in power, this inconsistency expresses itself as violence against dissent. To a large extent, it must to function at all or it would collapse immediately.
Though they may not think so, if you follow thier ideology to its logical and historically demonstrated conclusion, it is more accurately stated as "guns for me and not for thee".
If you want to identify the source of antigun sentiment in our society it is progressives and they exist in both parties and unfortunately, in the primary power structure of both of those parties.
They are the "elite" and sycophants to the same who see the function of government to control the population rather than serve it. A concept in direct conflict with the principles of the founding of this nation. Left, right, union, prayer in school and everything else is just the bread and circus.
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Good grief. The reason the left is anti-gun is because they are idealist utopians. They believe in the goodness of the people, that violence can be wished away by the well intentioned.
In other words, they're high.
That is the funny thing, you have to believe more in the goodness of a stranger to hand him a gun.
I disagree, anti gun lefties usually project their fear and ignorance of firearms on to others more so than believing in their goodness.
They think man needs to evolve to a higher being, I think he's fine the way he is. Not perfect, but left free, pretty darn good.