The Privacy of Gun Owners

A reader writes:

Why would anyone need to hide the fact that they were gay, Andrew? Loving the person of your choice is a civil right, after all.

Yes, here in the blue states among the coastal elites, gun owners are regarded with deep suspicion, their children refused playdates and their neighborhood barbecues scantly attended. Been there, done that, learned to shut up about it. Also, consider that criminals like to steal guns perhaps more than they like to steal anything else. Why give them a list of houses to hit?

I guess I thought having a gun made you less likely to worry about burglars. Or so the theory goes. I don't have strong feelings about this, and take the privacy point this reader makes:

If the right to life is an inalienable right, why would anyone feel the need to hide the fact that she has had an abortion? If the right to the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right, why would anyone object to the publication of his or her personal income and assets?

Glenn Reynolds argues that the important thing is keeping people guessing about who has a gun or not. Fair enough. But I'm not that impressed by wusses who don't want to be ostracized by liberal elites at their neighborhood barbecues. Isn't that part of the point of owning a gun - pissing off liberals?