I don't "live in a bubble". I simply don't hang with anti's. Just how do you propose I, and others like me, "branch out"? I, along with most others, are not going to change my/our lifestyle, in order to be around people I have no desire to be around in the first place. That's ridiculous. I've had people ask for my opinion about this or that gun. Or else ask what type or brand of gun I would purchase for what they want or need. I'm more than happy to help them make an informed decision. Or help them save a few bucks by steering them to the right place to buy. Or try one of my guns to see if they like it.
But I'm sure as hell not going to "expand my horizons" by going out of my way in order to play meet and greet with anti gunners. Any more than a church group is going to go to the local strip joint, to try and convert topless dancers into born again Christians. People like to assimilate with their own kind. It's human nature. And I'm not going against it to try to convert someone who wants no part of what I'm selling to begin with. That's about as productive a use of time as hitting yourself on the head with a hammer, because it feels good when you stop.
Although I can't tell you how to make friends, billt, I will try to offer some suggestions. First, you can stop trying to pigeonhole people into tidy, convenient groups of gun-hating liberals or pro-gun conservatives. While there are many people that fit nicely into your beloved two groups, there are also many, MANY people that do not.
Second, you could try to be a little more humble and reduce the brash, shove-it-down-your-throat-and-if-you-don't-like-it-then-****-you-because-I-know-better-than-you-even-though-I-live-in-a-bubble attitude that you display on the forum. I suspect you will have the most difficulties with this piece, even though I suspect it's the root cause of your inability to associate with people that do not share your exact point of view.
The guy I was with did not conveniently fit into your two groups. Nobody is asking you to change your lifestyle or go hang out in the ghettos of Chicago. There are tons of people that you could reach out to and educate! However, most people don't like to be preached to in a condescending manor.