The left somehow gets away with portraying responsible gun owners as a myth.

Despite the evidence, liberals love to portray law-abiding American citizens as too ignorant and too irresponsible to be trusted with the protections of the Second Amendment.

The Atlantic’s David Frum called “the myth of the ‘responsible gun owner” “the biggest obstacle to gun safety” this fall.

The Daily Kos also ranted about “the myth of the responsible gun owner” last year, claiming that if you think there’s nothing wrong with owning semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15 or don’t think due process should be avoided through the no-fly list ban, then “You’re not a responsible gun owner. Period. You’re not a responsible American, and you’re not a responsible human being.”

Liberals maintain that those who practice their Second Amendment rights are unhinged and ready to snap.

That’s an obviously absurd argument, but less than rational doubters can now turn to a new study from Oregon State University to see just how responsible gun owners are:

The researchers spent two years examining the complexities of handgun ownership in the U.S. Researchers visited gun trade shows, observing attendees and vendors; attended the National Rifle Association annual meeting and convention; participated in target shooting and engaged socially with gun range members; interviewed handgun owners, mostly in Texas, and monitored conversations in four online discussion forums dedicated to defensive handgun use for 12 months. They concluded that these gun owners’ efforts to mitigate risk can be categorized into three types: Readiness practices, including routines that do not include a simulated or imagined attacker, such as cleaning or storing one’s gun at home and target shooting at a range;

Simulated scenario practices, which typically involve practice drawing/using a weapon in simulated scenarios with inanimate targets, digital images on a screen or using actors, and may include taking armed self-defense training courses;

Mentally-rehearsed scenarios, which are routine mental operations where gun owners construct imagined self-defense situations and develop mental routines for responding to those situations.

The researchers determined that “handguns for self-defense are like cars,” in that the present, overall, some risk.

According to the study, gun owners “develop routines for keeping their gun in good working order; some engage in formal training to learn to use their gun safely; many imagine what they would do in different scenarios; and some practice armed self-defense in simulations, like some drivers do in drivers’ education or defensive driving classes.”

Despite the left’s attempt to popularize a stereotype of obsessed “gun nuts,” their arguments fail again and again.

Bearing Arms reports:

In other words, we’re not just a bunch of yahoos who think we live in the Old West. We’re responsible people who are working to take our personal safety seriously. More importantly, though, we’re taking safety seriously. Yes, there’s a difference. The truth of the matter is that, based on my experience talking with both citizens who carry and law enforcement, the average armed citizen spends more time working with their firearm than the average police officer. They tend to be better shots and more knowledgeable about firearms and what they can actually do.

Responsible gun ownership is far from a myth. It’s commonplace.

Are you one of the so-called myths?

Tell us what you think, and sound off in the comments below.