It's not an obsession, it's a right that is in the constitution that allows Americans to own guns with many states allowing you to use it to protect yourself and your property, using deadly force if necessary.
Out if the millions of him owners, there's a few that ruin it for everyone.
Keep in mind, in England, you can even be jailed for defending yourself against being attacked.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13376495/Pictured-Divorcee-dairy-farmer-50-arrested-fatal-shooting-suspected-burglar-remote-farmhouse-hes-quizzed-suspicion-murder.html