I've been in this spot. First date was an impromptu thing, so I didn't have a chance to work it into conversation. Second date, and she started gushing about Michael Moore and how bad guns were. She looked at me as if to say, "Right?" I hesitated and said, "look, I own several guns. I frequently carry, and I think it's very important that I do so." She looked at me like I was the Spawn of Satan and excused herself. That was the end of it.
I sometimes find myself around liberal types, and it never fails to amaze me how such supposedly "open-minded" and "intellectual" they claim to be, even though they're the most lock-step, conformist, closed-minded individuals on the planet. Personally, I can't respect anyone like that. I want someone who can think for themselves. There are some folks out there with real reasons for anti-gun bias, but most antis are just bigots in well-coordinated clothing.
This is the capsule-lecture I give to the antis I run across:
For me, guns aren't just a hobby. They're a necessary survival tool and a symbol of freedom. I come from a huge family that traces its history back to the 4th Crusade. 80% of that was wiped out by Hitler, another 10% by Stalin afterwards. I've been to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Contrary to what you may think, the rest of the world is not like the United States but with fewer television channels. Much of it is ugly, violent and very dangerous. The same historical patterns can happen anywhere, even here. I have the Constitutional right as well as a government license for my guns, and up until now, you've assumed that I'm a calm and rational person. So what just changed when I told you I keep and carry guns?
There are lots of misinformed folks out there who will come around after reasoned argument, but your GF doesn't sound like one of them. My sister's a college professor, and trust me, her friends are all like this. They won't change, and they get REALLY hostile when you chink away at their well-manicured opinions with facts. She's brought a few of them over to my place for dinner before, and several times, I've found myself saying, "well, this is my house, and I feel the need to protect it. The guns are secured, but if you're still uncomfortable, sorry." They look at me like I've just passed gas or something.
Funny thing is, several of these people have been mugged at gunpoint. :banghead:
I'm not going to go all Dr. Phil here, but from my own experience, this isn't the kind of person I'd respect, and if I don't respect someone, that's it. She'll try to gradually "convert" you, but she'll never give an inch herself. It'll only be a steadily more abrasive spiral. There are open-minded folks out there. It just takes time.